What is the consequence of focusing captive breeding efforts almost exclusively on the white coat trait?
Answer
It has inadvertently created a very narrow gene pool
The intense human focus on selectively breeding white tigers, largely stemming from the capture of the first wild specimens, has had a significant genetic consequence. Because breeding prioritized this single, visually appealing aesthetic trait, the pool of ancestral animals used for reproduction became extremely limited. This lack of genetic variability means that nearly all captive white tigers alive today share recent ancestry. This narrow gene pool presents complex challenges for conservationists regarding long-term health, as it increases the potential for concentrating undesirable recessive health conditions within the population.
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