Latin America holds roughly one-third of the world’s biodiversity, but its species remain poorly represented in reference genome resources. This gap limits how fully genomics can explain the evolution and conservation of Neotropical species. Whole-genome studies show what is possible. In South American canids, comparative genomics linked molecular evolution to ecological specialization and identified a single colonization event followed by rapid radiation into ten extant species. Genome-wide data also reveal how past climate shaped present diversity of South American carnivores and Galapagos birds. Given limited regional resources, we develop a practical framework for rapid, cost-effective species sequencing by connecting academia, zoos, wildlife rescue centers, and natural history collections. Through these collaborations, we obtained no-cost samples from animals of known wild origin. These whole genomes revealed demographic change after European colonization and the first genomic evidence of inbreeding in South America. These cases connect adaptation, paleoclimate, and conservation risk, but depend on high-quality reference genomes. To address this challenge, a Latin American genomic biodiversity network now coordinates reference genome generation, biobanking, training, data analysis, and funding initiatives such as the Earth BioGenome Project. This network can shift Global South scientists from sample providers to leaders in biodiversity genomics.
