Scientists Map Endangered Big Cats' Genomes: Tigers Evolved to Kill

Big cats are in danger across the globe. Tigers, lions and snow leopards are all facing threats such as habitat destruction and a changing climate. Now, though, scientists have mapped the genomes of these animals in an attempt to help with conservation efforts to protect endangered species--and it turns out that they share more in common with your house cat than you might think at first.

During their study, the scientists sequenced the genome of a nine-year-old Siberian tiger. They then sequenced the DNA of four other big cats, including the African lion, a snow leopard, a Bengal tiger and a white lion, according to BBC News. They then compared how the genes matched up in different members of the cat family.

"Genetically, all the cats are very close, so we need close genetic mapping to find the small differences that make them distinct," said Jong Bhak, co-author of the new paper, in an interview with National Geographic.

In fact, it turns out that the cat family is closely linked. Tigers share 95.6 percent of its genome with the domestic cat, even though it diverged from the cat about 10.8 million years ago, according to NBC news. In addition, researchers found that the cat family seems to rely on a narrow set of about 1,376 genes linked to strong muscle fibers and digestion of protein, according to National Geographic.

"I take this to indicate that [big cats] have evolved to fill a very particular carnivorous niche in the environment that is predicated on the advantages in hunting these genes provide," said Bhak in an interview with National Geographic.

There are some differences between the cats, though. For example, the scientists found two genes in the snow leopard that allow it to thrive in the low-oxygen conditions that a high altitude habitat entails. In addition, the researchers found the mutations that give both Bengal tigers and white African lions their distinctive white coats, according to NBC News.

The findings don't just give scientists evolutionary information about these big cats, though. This new study could also aid conservation efforts. It gives scientists a tool to estimate genetic diversity in the wild. This, in turn, could help researchers better target populations to help aid in the spread of this diversity.

The findings are published in the journal Nature Communications.