The project, published in the journal BMC Genomic Data, was made possible through collaboration between the National Centre for Genomic Analysis (CNAG), the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), and the Institute of Biology and Experimental Medicine (IBYME-CONICET) in Argentina.
The new genetic map assigns 99.85% of the sequence to chromosomes and identifies 25,267 protein-coding genes. This high-precision tool will allow the scientific community to better analyze the genetic diversity and evolution of this species, classified as 'Near Threatened' on the IUCN Red List due to habitat loss.
“"This is the first jaguar genome assembly generated from Argentine samples, providing a particularly valuable genomic resource to investigate the genetic diversity of this keystone species in South America."
The study, led by researchers linked to the BSC and IRB Barcelona, used state-of-the-art sequencing platforms to overcome the limitations of previous drafts. This resource meets the standards of the Earth BioGenome Project and is already being used in studies on the genetic structure of this predator's populations.
