Andrea Benazzo, Roberto Biello, Paolo Ciucci, Elisa Desiato, Giulia Fabbri, Silvia Fuselli, Carolyn Mahan, Emiliano Trucchi

The Apennine brown bear (Ursus arctos marsicanus) is not only an iconic and important population to protect and preserve, but also a valuable case study for understanding the genomic consequences of long-term isolation, extreme demographic decline, and coexistence with local human communities. Over the past decade, we have used whole-genome data and cellular experiments to reconstruct the evolutionary history of this large carnivore subspecies and to explore potential management implications. Here, we present our main findings on the erosion of genomic variation, the accumulation of deleterious mutations, the functional impact of a mitochondrial DNA mutation, the genetic basis of reduced aggressiveness, and the predicted genetic effects of restocking interventions.