In the remote, misty highland forests straddling Vietnam and Laos, a rare creature may still roam unseen. Known as the saola, this elusive animal was only discovered by scientists in 1992 and has since earned the nickname \u201cAsian unicorn\u201d due to its near-mythical status. <\/p>\n
The saola looks like an antelope but is more closely related to cattle. Both males and females have a pair of long, straight horns that may be reminiscent of a unicorn\u2019s single spike, when seen side on.<\/p>\n
Mystery of the Asian unicorn <\/p>\n
Even at the time of its discovery, the saola (Pseudoryx nghetinhensis) was already in trouble. Today, fewer than 100 are thought to remain \u2013 if they\u2019re alive at all.<\/p>\n
\u201cRight now, the existence of live saolas can neither be proven nor disproven. The last evidence we have was from 2013, when one was captured on a camera trap,\u201d said Nguyen Quoc Dung from the Forest Inventory and Planning Institute in Vietnam.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut given the remoteness of its habitat, it is extremely difficult to say for sure whether there are still a few out there. There are some signs and indications that still give us hope.\u201d<\/p>\n
A surprising genetic discovery <\/p>\n
Dung is part of an international research team that has now achieved something remarkable. Scientists from the University of Copenhagen<\/a> and institutions across the globe have, for the first time, mapped the genome of the saola. <\/p>\n Until now, there was virtually no genetic data on this critically endangered species. The researchers worked with saola remains gathered from hunter households in the region. <\/p>\n Using fragments from these remains, they assembled complete genomes for 26 individuals. What they found reveals a new chapter in the Asian unicorn\u2019s story \u2013 and possibly, a path forward for its survival.<\/p>\n \u201cWe were quite surprised to find that the saola is split into two populations with considerable genetic differences. The split happened between 5,000 and 20,000 years ago,\u201d said Gen\u00eds Garcia Erill, lead author of the study.<\/p>\n \u201cThat was completely unknown before, and there was also no way we could have known without genetic data. It is an important result because it affects how the genetic variation in the species is distributed.\u201d<\/p>\n Loss of genetic diversity <\/p>\n The analysis also showed that both populations have been shrinking since the end of the last Ice Age<\/a>. <\/p>\n Over the past 10,000 years, the total number of saolas likely never exceeded 5,000 individuals. This long decline has caused a gradual loss of genetic diversity<\/a> in both groups \u2013 but not the same genetic diversity.<\/p>\n \u201cThis means that the genetic variation lost in each population complements the other. So, if you mix them, they could compensate for what the other is missing,\u201d said Garcia Erill.<\/p>\n In short, the key to saving the saola might lie in bringing these two populations back together.<\/p>\n A plan for saola survival<\/p>\n The researchers used computer models to explore different scenarios for conservation<\/a>. Their results suggest that mixing individuals from both populations in a captive breeding program could give the species its best shot at survival.<\/p>\n \u201cIf we can bring together at least a dozen saolas \u2013 ideally a mix from both populations \u2013 to form the foundation of a future population, our models show the species would have a decent chance of long-term survival,\u201d noted Rasmus Heller, senior author of the study.<\/p>\n \u201cBut it hinges on actually locating some individuals and starting a breeding program. That has worked before when species were on the brink of extinction.\u201d<\/p>\n New hope for the Asian unicorn <\/p>\n The researchers hope that the newly mapped genome will make it easier to locate any remaining saolas.<\/p>\n Until now, teams have searched using environmental DNA<\/a> (eDNA) \u2013 traces of genetic material left behind in water, soil, or even inside leeches. These techniques depend on detecting tiny DNA fragments, which has proven difficult.<\/p>\n \u201cMany researchers have unsuccessfully tried to find traces of saola through methods like environmental DNA in water and even in leeches, the blood suckers inhabiting the same habitat,\u201d said study co-author Minh Duc Le of Vietnam National University.<\/p>\n \u201cThese techniques all rely on detecting tiny DNA fragments, and now that we know the complete saola genome, we have a much larger toolkit for detecting those fragments.\u201d<\/p>\n The future of Asian unicorns<\/p>\n Even if none of the enigmatic Asian unicorns are ever found, this new information could still play a role in the future.<\/p>\n \u201cOur results could, in theory, be used if we were ever to succeed in bringing the saola back through genetic de-extinction<\/a> technologies, which are a hot topic right now,\u201d said Heller.<\/p>\n \u201cIn that case, our new insights into saola genetic variation could make a huge difference in creating a viable population.\u201d<\/p>\n Still, there\u2019s a sense of urgency and realism behind the hope. Heller noted that scientists have been searching for saolas since the 1990s, and it\u2019s only gotten harder, because there were more of them back then. <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not overly optimistic, I have to admit \u2013 but I really hope the saola is still out there,\u201d concluded Heller.<\/p>\n The full study was published in the journal Cell<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u2014\u2013<\/p>\n Like what you read? Subscribe to our newsletter<\/a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.\u00a0<\/p>\n Check us out on EarthSnap<\/a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls<\/a> and Earth.com.<\/p>\n \u2014\u2013<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In the remote, misty highland forests straddling Vietnam and Laos, a rare creature may still roam unseen. 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