Genomic approximations for the study and conservation of mammals

Abstract

Genomics is the study of the genome’s structure, function, evolution and mapping, including gene interactions with each other and with the environment. Genomics is a tool that allows studying fine evolutionary processes in non-model mammals. These approximations provide valuable information regarding levels and distribution patterns of neutral and adaptive genetic variation. Additionally, genomics allows studying organisms responses to environmental changes and anthropogenic activities. This information has high potential applications in the development of management and conservation plans for threatened mammalian populations and species. The present work provides information so that the reader can understand and outline a mammal conservation genomics project. This is an introductory guide for the use of genomics in the study of mammals, with emphasis in the link between genomics and conservation biology. This guide explains some general aspects of the genomics approximation that allow studying mammals such as sequencing methodologies, reduced representation sequencing, mitogenomes, whole genome sequencing, low coverage whole genome sequencing, metagenomics and transcriptomics; including some examples of their applications in conservation. We conclude this document with some challenges and perspectives for the application of mammal conservation genomics.