The European wildcat: a thousand-year history written in the DNA

Using one of the largest DNA biobanks of the species available in Europe, ISPRA geneticists have reconstructed the complex evolutionary history of wild cat populations in the recent article published in the prestigious scientific journal Animals. The study, in addition to clarifying the evolutionary dynamics of the predator, also offers an invaluable support for identifying the correct management units of wildcats present in Europe and for planning adequate conservation actions on a continental scale.