The purpose of this review is to present the current state of knowledge about
the genetics of the American mink (Neovison vison Schreb., 1777) - a species
that achieved in the twentieth century an unprecedented ecological success
associated with the dynamic development of its economic use. However, despite
the large popularity and economic importance of the American mink as a fur
animal, and the scale of the problems associated with its introduction beyond
the range of natural occurrence, genetic research, particularly molecular
genetics and genomics of this species, show relatively little progress. The
article contains a comprehensive description of the studies undertaken on the
genetics of the species, both in terms of cytogenetics, molecular genetics,
genomics, population genetics and phylogenetics. The progress of the genome
sequencing project of the American mink is also described as well as its
transcriptome annotation. The article also deals with still unexplained and
not completed, despite 70 years of genetic research, issues such as the
standard karyotype, the precise molecular basis of coat color inheritance and
systematic position of the species.
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