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South African Leopards in Cape Floristic Region Evolve Smaller Size Over 20,000 Years

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EElectricBuzz Editorial Team
South African Leopards in Cape Floristic Region Evolve Smaller Size Over 20,000 Years
1 min read58 wordsElectricBuzz Editorial Team

The Gist

“Leopards in South Africa's Cape Floristic Region have evolved to about half the size of typical African leopards while maintaining genetic diversity despite long isolation.”

Researchers analyzing the whole genomes of leopards in South Africa's Cape Floristic Region discovered that these animals are genetically distinct from other African leopards and have evolved to be roughly half their usual size.

Despite being isolated for approximately 20,000 years and living in small populations, they retain significant genetic diversity, highlighting unique evolutionary adaptations to their environment.

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