Recent evidence suggests that species can diverge in the presence of gene flow, and that even moderately divergent species can exchange genes through hybridization. This gene flow during or after species divergence can have important consequences for the speciation process itself, for adaptive evolution, and for conservation. In my thesis, I will use the genus Lynx as a study model, and whole-genome sequencing data from multiple individuals of the four species composing it, in order to contribute to a better understanding of the evolutionary history of lynxes. The main objectives will be to improve the knowledge regarding the speciation process, the role of admixture in species divergence and the nature of barriers that maintain species integrity in the presence of gene flow, both in general and for lynxes in particular