A new study has found that jackrabbits have higher variability in the genes that are lost in other species. The findings, which were recently published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, suggest that jackrabbits may be at an evolutionary advantage due to their ability to rapidly adapt to changing environments.

The study focused on the genetic makeup of two species of jackrabbit, the black-tailed jackrabbit (Lepus californicus) and the white-tailed jackrabbit (Lepus townsendii). Researchers found that the two species had higher variability in their genes compared to other species, including hares and rabbits. They also found that the jackrabbits had a larger number of “lost genes” than other species, meaning that they no longer carried certain genes that had been present in their ancestors.

This higher variability in their genes could be an evolutionary advantage for jackrabbits, allowing them to rapidly adapt to new environments. The findings could also help us better understand how species evolve and how they respond to environmental changes.

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source: Phys.org