Genomic analysis supports Cape Lion population connectivity prior to colonial eradication and extinction.

This article focuses on the genomic analysis of the extinct Cape lion (Panthera leo melanochaitus) population from the Cape Flats region in South Africa to assess their genetic distinctiveness prior to extinction. By sequencing mitochondrial and nuclear genomes from two historic Cape lion specimens and comparing them to 118 mitogenomes and 53 nuclear genomes from lions across Africa and India, the study found that Cape lions exhibited genetic diversity and genome-wide heterozygosity similar to other southern and eastern African lions, without evidence of long-term isolation or distinctiveness. These results challenge earlier European naturalists’ claims that Cape lions were a phenotypically and genetically unique population, instead suggesting that their variation was consistent with broader African lion populations. The findings also highlight how Indigenous knowledge and alternative perspectives can enrich interpretations of species histories and inform contemporary conservation efforts.