Climate Change & Farming May Have Shaped a Genetically Distinct Swan Goose, Study Finds

Researchers report a genetically distinct swan goose population has emerged around Beijing over the past century, driven by regional warming and expansion of irrigated agriculture. Whole-genome resequencing and GPS tracking reveal divergence from other wild and domestic lineages, altered migratory routes and partial migration behavior. Findings inform conservation strategies for this endangered East Asian migratory waterbird.