Leopards adapted to South Africa’s Cape so successfully that they’re genetically unique – study

For the first time, whole-genome analysis shows that the small Cape leopards are a genetically distinct population.

By: Laura Tensen, University of Greifswald, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: February 27, 2026

Words: 1,313

Last Updated: 1 week, 5 days ago

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By Laura Tensen, University of Greifswald

Animals of the same species don’t always look the same. From birds with different beak shapes to mammals that vary in size or colour, populations living in different places can often look very different.

What’s much harder to pin down is why these differences arise. Are they shaped by local environments? Or driven by natural or sexual selection? Or are they simply the result of the random loss of …

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