A new study reveals mountain gorillas apparently engage in severe inbreeding and scientists believe the species is now stuck in a "genetic bottleneck".

Apart from being already critically endangered as a species, this extreme occurrences in inbreeding can also add further potential risk to their survival.

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An international team of researchers from six nations has completed mapping the genetic code of the mountain gorillas. To date, this new study is the most extensive analysis performed involving the genetic structure of the species.

These mountain gorillas are even closely related to humans, however. They're now seen in just two locations in the world: the Virunga volcanic mountain range that traverses Uganda and Rwanda and the Democratic Republic in Congo in Africa.

Mountain gorillas have always been studied intensively but this marks the first in-depth analysis of their genome. After three years of sequencing their gorilla reference genome, this can then be compared to other gorilla populations, including the endangered mountain gorilla to further study the genetic impacts of inbreeding.

Over a period of seven years, blood samples were taken from the gorillas involved in the programs of the Rwanda Development Board and other organizations to examine their DNA record. The results revealed the genome found in seven gorillas, including mountain gorillas and eastern lowland gorillas, are less genetically diverse than other primate species near the region.

To date, the mountain gorilla population found in the Virunga mountain range has now dropped to just 253 members due to hunting and habitat loss caused by human encroachment. Biologists still believe there could be as many as 480 of the gorillas that still survive in the region.

Inbreeding poses a serious problem for these gorillas as this leads to increased cases of birth defects. This can also reduce the resistance of the species to some diseases along with the inability to adapt to changes in their habitat.

Researchers also noted that although the gorillas may be more susceptible to diseases, they also believe inbreeding also has its benefits. This includes fewer harmful losses of function variants in the mountain gorillas compared to western gorilla populations. These variants can stop genes from functioning and can even lead to fatal health conditions.

This study was published in the journal Science.

TagsEndangered Mountain Gorillas Survive Amidst Extreme Inbreeding, mountain gorillas, Congo, endangered species primates gorillas, endangered gorillas, inbreeding mountain gorillas, genetic study mountain gorillas