RESEARCHERS SEQUENCE GENOMES OF RARE PARROT TO HELP IT THRIVE

Summary from the TLDR newsletter

The kākāpō is a critically endangered species native to New Zealand. While its populations have risen slowly over the last decade, the limited genetic diversity in the species' population has made breeding problematic. Most kākāpō are severely inbred and susceptible to disease and infertility. Researchers are now sequencing the genomes of nearly all existing birds to discover genetic variants in the population to help preserve the species.