Whole-genome sequencing of isolated central Asian populations
To improve our understanding of the evolutionary history of brown bears with a focus on Central Asia, we generated whole-genome data from 9 brown bears, including samples from the Gobi Desert in southwestern Mongolia, the Himalaya Mountain Range in Pakistan, and Northern Mongolia. We combined these data with previously published whole-genome data for brown and polar bears across their global ranges. Our objectives were to 1) identify global evolutionary relationships of brown bears, 2) evaluate the genomic support for the taxonomic subspecies status of brown bears in Central Asia, 3) estimate the level of genetic diversity of the identified lineages, and 4) reconstruct historical trends of effective population size for brown bears. Finally, we discuss the conservation implications of our findings.