Mink by mink: stitching together signatures of subspecies adaptation through a pangenome of threatened mustelids
Our work presents six high-quality, chromosome-scale genome assemblies and annotations for six subspecies of the American mink (Neogale vison), a semi-aquatic carnivore in the family Mustelidae. The primary goal of this project is to investigate patterns in gene family expansions and contractions, subspecies-specific functional enrichment, and pangenomic analyses. We also aim to validate the existing subspecies classifications within minks. The resulting genomic resources provide a foundation for future evolutionary, functional, and conservation studies of Neogale vison and other mustelids.