Question

Why is the cheetah gene pool small today

Answer 1

The cheetah gene pool is small today due to a severe population bottleneck experienced by the species around 10,000 years ago. During this time, the cheetah population was greatly reduced to a small number of individuals, resulting in limited genetic diversity among the surviving cheetahs. This lack of genetic variation makes the population more susceptible to genetic diseases, reduces their ability to adapt to environmental changes, and increases the risk of inbreeding. Additionally, habitat loss, fragmentation, poaching, and human-wildlife conflict further threaten the already small and genetically impoverished cheetah population.