Comparative population genomics reveals evolutionary potential and conservation priorities in three Procapra species.
4 affiliations
- 1State Key Laboratory of Animal Biodiversity Conservation and Integrated Pest Management, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
- 2University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
- 3Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, China.
- 4Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China.
Abstract
The genus Procapra, comprising the Mongolian gazelle (MG, Procapra gutturosa), Przewalski's gazelle (PG, Procapra przewalskii), and Tibetan gazelle (TG, Procapra picticaudata), has experienced substantial range contractions and population declines due to anthropogenic disturbance and habitat degradation. Effective conservation of these species requires a clearer understanding of how distinct demographic histories have shaped their current evolutionary potential and genetic risks. Here, we assembled chromosome-level genomes for all three Procapra species and conducted population genomic analyses using whole-genome resequencing data from 93 individuals. Our findings show that MG underwent substantial historical population expansion and retained the highest genetic diversity and lowest levels of inbreeding. In contrast, TG currently has a relatively large census size, but its historically small effective population size may have contributed to elevated inbreeding and reduced genetic diversity. Despite having the smallest census size among the three species, PG retained intermediate genetic diversity, consistent with its historically larger effective population size, whereas severe contemporary habitat fragmentation is associated with elevated inbreeding and a pronounced demographic decline. Collectively, our results demonstrate that census size alone does not reliably predict genetic risk in closely related Procapra species and highlight the importance of demographic history in shaping evolutionary potential and species-specific conservation needs. Given the escalating anthropogenic fragmentation affecting PG, targeted conservation actions are urgently needed to limit further inbreeding and erosion of genetic diversity and to safeguard its long-term viability.
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BibTeX
@article{wang2026comparative,
title = {{Comparative population genomics reveals evolutionary potential and conservation priorities in three Procapra species.}},
author = {Haoyang Wang and Xiaofan Ma and Xin Huang and Xiaoyu Hu and Chao Zhang and Huayao Gao and Ming Lu and Yalun Wang and Tongzuo Zhang and Zexuan Gao and Yonggang Nie},
journal = {Molecular biology and evolution},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1093/molbev/msag258},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42839738},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Comparative population genomics reveals evolutionary potential and conservation priorities in three Procapra species.
AU - Haoyang Wang
AU - Xiaofan Ma
AU - Xin Huang
AU - Xiaoyu Hu
AU - Chao Zhang
AU - Huayao Gao
AU - Ming Lu
AU - Yalun Wang
AU - Tongzuo Zhang
AU - Zexuan Gao
AU - Yonggang Nie
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - Molecular biology and evolution
DO - 10.1093/molbev/msag258
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42839738
AB - The genus Procapra, comprising the Mongolian gazelle (MG, Procapra gutturosa), Przewalski's gazelle (PG, Procapra przewalskii), and Tibetan gazelle (TG, Procapra picticaudata), has experienced substantial range contractions and population declines due to anthropogenic disturbance and habitat degradation. Effective conservation of these species requires a clearer understanding of how distinct demographic histories have shaped their current evolutionary potential and genetic risks. Here, we assembled chromosome-level genomes for all three Procapra species and conducted population genomic analyses using whole-genome resequencing data from 93 individuals. Our findings show that MG underwent substantial historical population expansion and retained the highest genetic diversity and lowest levels of inbreeding. In contrast, TG currently has a relatively large census size, but its historically small effective population size may have contributed to elevated inbreeding and reduced genetic diversity. Despite having the smallest census size among the three species, PG retained intermediate genetic diversity, consistent with its historically larger effective population size, whereas severe contemporary habitat fragmentation is associated with elevated inbreeding and a pronounced demographic decline. Collectively, our results demonstrate that census size alone does not reliably predict genetic risk in closely related Procapra species and highlight the importance of demographic history in shaping evolutionary potential and species-specific conservation needs. Given the escalating anthropogenic fragmentation affecting PG, targeted conservation actions are urgently needed to limit further inbreeding and erosion of genetic diversity and to safeguard its long-term viability.
SN - 0737-4038
SN - 1537-1719
ER -