The small gene pool of cheetahs today can be attributed to several factors, primarily centered around their evolutionary history and conservation challenges. Here are the key reasons:
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Multiple Bottleneck Events: Cheetah populations have experienced significant bottleneck events in their history, particularly during the last Ice Age and in more recent times due to habitat loss, hunting, and human encroachment. These events drastically reduced their numbers and genetic diversity.
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Inbreeding in Zoos: Many cheetahs in captivity are bred from a limited number of individuals, leading to inbreeding. This practice further reduces genetic variation, making them more susceptible to diseases and reducing their overall fitness.
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Lack of Advantageous Traits: A small gene pool limits the availability of advantageous traits that could help cheetahs adapt to changing environments or diseases. As a result, their overall ability to thrive in diverse conditions diminishes.
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Poor Adaptability: The reduced genetic diversity limits the cheetah's adaptability to changing environmental conditions, such as climate change, leading to challenges in survival and reproduction.
Overall, the conjunction of these factors has led to the current situation where the cheetah's gene pool is small and less resilient. Conservation efforts aim to address these issues by promoting genetic diversity and protecting their habitats.