<b>Chromosome-level Genome Assembly of the South African Lion (</b><b><i>Panthera leo melanochaita</i></b><b>)</b>

Abstract

The lion (<i>Panthera leo</i><i> </i><i>melanochaita</i>) is one of the most iconic species and part of the big five, maintaining ecological balance and a major wildlife-based tourism attraction in South Africa. Despite its importance, it is currently threatened by rapid population decline and increasing population fragmentation. Therefore, there is a need for a high-quality genomic resource that captures the diverse genetic landscape of South African lion populations. To address this, we present a high-quality genome assembly of the lion, generated using PacBio HiFi and Omni-C sequencing technologies. The final assembly comprises 2.45 Gb, with a scaffold N50 of 148 Mb and a contig N50 of 22 Mb. Remarkably, 94.8% of the genome is anchored to 19 scaffolds, reflecting the high degree of contiguity and near-complete chromosomal level. Completeness assessment of the genome showed 98.2% BUSCO, 98.2% k-mer completeness and QV of 65.6 underscoring high accuracy and biological integrity. Genome annotation predicted 831.4 Mb (33.9%) of repetitive sequences and 21 739 protein-coding genes. This work provides high-quality genomic resource to establish a foundation for future population genomic and conservation-focused investigations of the lion populations from Kruger National Park in South Africa.