In the mountains of Kyrgyzstan, I searched and searched — and there it was, a snow leopard scat (dropping). One snow leopard scat sample can uncover much needed-data about the species. However, multi-scale conservation efforts for snow leopards lack information pertaining to their molecular ecology. Molecular ecology research — which incorporates genetic data — helps researchers identify and describe population structure, explain spatial distribution and generate information on evolutionary history. For the last six years, Panthera has been at the helm of an international, collaborative study on the range-wide genetic patterns of snow leopards. For this project, which comprises my Ph.D., I have visited several range countries, including Uzbekistan, China and Kyrgyzstan. We have been busy collecting and processing DNA from scat samples to fill important knowledge gaps on these elusive cats.
Decoding Snow Leopard DNA and Diversity | Panthera
Decoding Snow Leopard DNA and Diversity | Panthera