The Arabian tahr lives in the mountains of eastern Arabia. It has a stocky build and curved horns.
It has a stocky build and backward-curving horns.
For Arabian tahr in the mountains of northern Oman and the United Arab Emirates, researchers analyzed mitochondrial DNA from 53 samples and 14 microsatellite loci. The mitochondrial data revealed eight haplotypes grouped into two clusters. They compared genetic patterns with mountain terrain and road maps.
Genetic and landscape analyses showed weak connectivity between populations at the far south and north of the study area. The researchers mapped likely corridors linking tahr populations and identified multi-lane highways that obstructed many of them. The study also found a weak but significant division in microsatellite data.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.
The authors identify restoring corridors impeded by multi-lane highways as a way to reconnect Arabian tahr populations. They also call for wider sampling because genetic samples outside Wadi Sareen were limited.