Re: Theories on the extinction of dinosaurs

["James R. Cunningham" <jrccea@bellsouth.net>]

Philidor11@aol.com wrote:

> >From a documentary about cheetahs, I learned that a small breeding population
> did not have enough genetic diversity to be likely survivors.  Is the minimum
> breeding population known for any of these creatures?  Can the dna be tracked
> well enough for any animal(s) to determine whether the number of breeding
> individuals was ever comparatively small?

I've read that genetic diversity in cheetahs indicates that the gene pool once
declined to about 7 individuals.  I don't know how valid that statement was.
Cheetahs today are so closely related that skin grafts will readily take from 
one
animal to another.

Jim