Scientists has presented the first whole genome sequence and analyses of Red Bat (Myotis rufoniger).
It is one of the most well-known and iconic protected wild animals in South Korea ans also known as the golden bat.
Myotis rufoniger is a species of vesper bat in the family Vespertilionidae. It is a rare bat species that face imminent threat of disappearance from the face of Earth.
Being designated as a Korean natural monument No. 452, only 450 to 500 of these bats survive in the wild in South Korea, presently.
The reseach team expects that this study will provide a genetic foundation for the restoration and conservation of the critically endangered M. rufoniger.
A genome contains all of the genetic information of a given organism, including its evolutionary origins.
The primary reason for the rapid decline in the population of bats is due to very recent human encroachment into and destruction of wildlife.