Advances in conservation genomics of threatened vertebrate species

Abstract

Conservation genomics has emerged as a transformative field for understanding and protecting threatened vertebrate species. With rapid advancements in next-generation sequencing (NGS), whole-genome resequencing, environmental DNA (eDNA), and long-read technologies, researchers can assess genetic diversity, adaptive variation, inbreeding, hybridization, and demographic history with unprecedented resolution. These tools have already influenced wildlife management decisions involving species recovery, captive breeding, and population monitoring. Despite its promise, challenges remain, including limited genomic resources for non-model taxa, bioinformatic complexity, and difficulties translating genomic insight into conservation policy. This review synthesizes current advances in conservation genomics of threatened vertebrate species, highlights major applications, and outlines future directions for integrating genomic data into effective conservation strategies.