Researchers and colleagues from the Northeast Forestry University and the Northeast Forestry Academy are assembled chromosomal scale genomes of two highly endangered pangolin species. Chinese pangolin (Manis Pentadactyla) and Malayan Pangolin (Manis Javanica).
Distribution area and sampling site for pangolins in China and Malay. Image credit: LAN et al. , doi: 10.1093/gigascience/giaf003.
Pangolins are living fossils with many unique biological properties, including the body-covering keratin scale, a special diet, a long, muscular tongue, a sensitive olfactory system, and the ability to dig holes.
Locals in that distribution area have traditionally used their scales and meat for medicine and food.
An excess excerpt of pangolin, driven by rising demand for luxurious foods and traditional Chinese herbal medicines, has pushed the animal to the edge of extinction.
Currently, pangolins are the most trafficked wildlife in the world, with over 900,000 individuals poaching 67 countries from six continents involved in illegal poaching and trade.
Poaching is more rampant for Asian pangolins compared to African pangolins, particularly Malayan pangolins and Chinese pangolins.
These two species are listed as Critical at risk On the IUCN Red List for the first time since 2014.
“World Pangolin Day is celebrated on February 15th, so a new study presenting high-quality genomic data for these pangolin species is the genetic vulnerability and risk of extinction in Malayan and China's pangolin species. It's fitting that he is in the spotlight on the subject,” Yang Hua and colleagues.
The starting point for their analysis was to generate genome sequences of Chinese and Malay pangolins at significantly higher resolutions than those currently available.
Having such high quality data in the form of near-gap chromosomal scale sequences will capture important information, which is a key indicator of genetic health, and important information, which is the risk of extinction in any population. It's very valuable for it.
Therefore, the analysis included estimates of genetic diversity. This shows how many genetic variations exist between individuals in the population.
Scientists then used high-quality data as reference points and used previously published genomic data from 37 Chinese pangolins and 72 Malayan pangolin individuals to conservation inheritance of five pangolin populations. The condition has been reassessed.
They found the overall genetic diversity was surprisingly high. This is a positive indication of the genetic health of the population.
However, their detailed analysis showed that some of these populations were at higher risk of extinction than others.
Specifically, based on genetic data from one pangolin population, the authors have shown that this population has significantly faster and more sharper population declines within the last 10,000 years compared to the other populations in the study. I confirmed that it was over.
Furthermore, other genetic parameters in their studies indicate that this population, particularly in particular, is at a very high risk of extinction.
In addition to this, analysis of pangolin specimens from Taiwan revealed equally painful data.
Severe survival pressures require future work to solidify certain pangolin populations to some extent at the risk of extinction.
The data also show that further research into regional differences in these populations should be more careful as it has the capacity to help guide the already ongoing genetic rescue efforts.
“In addition to supporting the management of illegal poaching and human trafficking, the Chinese government has built breeding centres for the conservation of pangolins in both China and Malay and developed artificial breeding and breeding programs.” Academy and Northeast Forestry University.
“With the support of these data, we can better assess the genetic rescue strategies of wild populations by reconstructing and releasing these prisoner individuals in the future.”
a paper The findings were published in the journal gigascience.
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TIANMING LAN et al. 2025. Enhanced inbreeding estimation and global conservation insights through chromosomal-level gatherings of pangolins in China and Malay. gigascience 14: GIAF003; doi: 10.1093/gigascience/giaf003
Source: www.sci.news
