Uncovering the genetic history of British otters

New genetic research has revealed how British otters were able to recover from species loss in the 1950s with the help of their counterparts from Asia.

Using genome sequencing data, a team from Cardiff University’s Otter Project showed that much of the genetic diversity of British otters was lost when chemical pollution led to severe population declines in the 1950–1970s.

The paper, “Genomics reveals complex population history and unexpected diversity of Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra) in Britain relative to genetic methods,” was published in Molecular Biology and Evolution.