Prioritizing Endangered Species in Genome Sequencing: Conservation Genomics in Action with the First Platinum-Standard Reference-Quality Genome of the Critically Endangered European Mink L., 1761.

The European mink (Mustelidae) ranks among the most endangered mammalian species globally, experiencing a rapid and severe decline in population size, density, and distribution. Given the critical need for effective conservation strategies, understanding its genomic characteristics becomes paramount. To address this challenge, the platinum-quality, chromosome-level reference genome assembly for the European mink was successfully generated under the project of the European Mink Centre consortium.