Bottlenecks Aren't Always Genetic Doom

A Science study of 418 koala genomes shows that a population in Victoria that fell to about 102 individuals then expanded to ~494 over 35 generations and regained rare alleles. The authors argue recombination and rapid demographic recovery can reestablish evolutionary potential after extreme bottlenecks, meaning genetic damage is not always permanent. — This reframes conservation policy: managers may prioritize rapid population recovery as a genetic-restoration strategy rather than assuming irreversible loss and defaulting to costly interventions like translocations or genetic rescue.