International scientists have mapped the genomes of the tiger, lion and snow leopard, in conservation efforts to protect endangered species.
The research give clues to how big cats evolved to become top predators with superior muscle strength and a carnivorous diet.
The tiger shares 96% of its genes with the house cat, the study in Nature Communications reveals.
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| Taeguek |
Until now, the only cat to have its DNA mapped was the domestic one.
A team led by Yun Sung Cho at the Personal Genomics Institute, Genome Research Foundation in Suwon, South Korea, sequenced the genome of a Siberian tiger.
The individual, Taegeuk, is a nine-year-old male from Everland Zoo in South Korea.
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