![]() ![]() The genomes of all three species show evidence of historic population declines. For comparison, we also examined the genomes of two close relatives: the Andean condor (Vultur gryphus Vulnerable 3) and the turkey vulture (Cathartes aura Least Concern 3). To fill this gap and aid future management of the species, we produced a high-quality chromosome-length genome assembly for the California condor and analyzed its genome-wide diversity. The condor's recent near-extinction from lead poisoning, poaching, and loss of habitat is well documented, 4 but much about its history remains obscure. ![]() Following decades of captive breeding and release efforts, there are now >300 free-flying wild condors and ∼200 in captivity. Though condors once ranged throughout North America, by 1982 only 22 individuals remained. 1 During the latter half of the twentieth century, North America's largest soaring bird, 2 the California condor (Gymnogyps californianus Critically Endangered 3), briefly went extinct in the wild. Electronic address: to their small population sizes, threatened and endangered species frequently suffer from a lack of genetic diversity, potentially leading to inbreeding depression and reduced adaptability. 9 Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA. ![]()
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