A Florida cougar explores Everglades National Park in 2006, 11 years after Texas cougars were relocated there to help restore the dwindling Florida cougar population, which suffers from genetic problems associated with inbreeding. (Photo courtesy of the National Park Service, photographer Rodney Cammauf)
Florida cougars are recovering from the threat of extinction thanks to genetic diversity brought in by a group of cougars from Texas.
Florida cougars (Puma concolor coryi) are a subspecies of mountain lion (also known as puma or cougar) that now occupy less than 5% of their original range due to hunting and habitat loss.
In the 1990s, fewer than 30 cougars remained in Florida, and inbreeding was threatening their survival. To increase the population’s genetic diversity, scientists introduced eight female cougars from Texas in 1995. Three decades later, inbreeding was reduced, and the Florida cougar population had increased to about 200 individuals. Crucially, despite the introduction of new genes, the unique genetic makeup that defines Florida cougars as a distinct subspecies was not lost, according to a study published July 28 in the journal PNAS.
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Sourse: www.livescience.com
