Hypervariable genomic variation to reconstruct the natural history of populations: lessons from the big cats

The extent and nature of variation in hypervariable regions DNA have been used in the past as a means to infer the natural histories of populations. We review the interpretation of the extent of genetic diversity for minisatellite DNA in the cheetah to estimate the timing of a population bottleneck in the species and the potential application of a second class of hypervariable DNA, microsatellite DNA, as a molecular tool to examine the natural histories of felid populations. A calibration curve relating the degree of allele fragment sharing in individuals to relatedness in a captive pedigree of cheetahs is presented. This measurement has important applications for management of potential matings in captive management situations.