This week, Science Advances will publish a new study on climate adaptation in the Pacific pocket mouse—North America's most endangered mouse. The research highlights a major challenge for endangered species, as many lack the genetic diversity needed to survive changing climates.
Once thought extinct before being rediscovered in 1994, the Pacific pocket mouse faces significant threats from habitat loss and climate change. Researchers analyzed the genomes of these mice, collected over the past century, and identified 14 genes associated with adaptation to temperature and moisture. They then tracked these genes in a population reintroduced to the wild from a conservation breeding program. The genetic variation in these climate-associated genes shifted as predicted for the new environment, suggesting that adaptation to changing climates is ongoing.
Beyond its implications for the Pacific pocket mouse, this research provides a broader framework for how conservation programs can support endangered species as climates continue to change.
An embargoed manuscript and interviews are available. Visuals can be found here . Embargo will lift at 2:00 pm U.S. Eastern Time Friday, April 17, 2026.
