Why South Africa’s leopards shrank to half their normal size
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A hidden population of South African leopards has revealed a remarkable evolutionary story. Researchers analyzing entire leopard genomes discovered that the Cape Floristic Region’s leopards are not only much smaller than most African leopards, but also genetically distinct after being isolated for roughly 20,000 years.
What Happened
Surprisingly, despite their small population, they have retained much of their genetic diversity.
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