Because of extensive inbreeding, the cheetah has one of the lowest degrees of genetic diversity among mammals. Genetic variation between cheetahs is so low that a given animal will not recognize the difference when a tissue graft from another cheetah surgically replaces its own tissue. These low levels of diversity make the cheetah species extremely vulnerable to disease and threaten its ultimate survival. Scientists hope to use modern captive breeding programs to increase genetic diversity in the species.
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