Whole-genome study identifies distinct Arunachal mithun population and finds declining effective breeding size

Researchers published India’s first population-level whole-genome analysis of the Arunachali mithun, based on animals sampled from the Siang region, and reported moderate genetic variation alongside genomic signals of a long-term decline in effective breeding population. The study also identifies this Siang-region population as distinct and proposes it as the “Siangmi” breed, though it is not yet formally registered as a recognised breed.