Chromosome-level genome assembly and annotation of the critically endangered Siberian crane (Leucogeranus...

The Siberian crane (Leucogeranus leucogeranus) is classified as Critically Endangered by the IUCN. Its current estimated population is over 6,900 individuals in East Asia, whereas the Western/Central Asian population is nearly extinct, with no recent records of its presence in the wild. Here, we present a high-quality, chromosome-level genome assembly of the Siberian crane generated by integrating Nanopore long-read data, MGISEQ-2000 short-read data, and Hi-C technology data. The assembled genome spans 1.31 Gb, with a scaffold N50 of 83.45 Mb, comprising 33 chromosomes and additional unplaced scaffolds. BUSCO assessment indicated that 97.3 percent of genes in the genome assembly are complete. We identified 10.9 percent repetitive sequences and 21,678 protein-coding genes, of which 88 percent were successfully assigned functional annotations. This high-quality genome assembly and annotation provide a valuable genomic resource for comparative genomic research aimed at understanding the ecology, evolutionary adaptations, and development of Gruidae birds.