Research Proposal II; An Estimate if Endemic Genetic Diversity and Molecular Taxonomy of the Florida Panther (Felis concolor coryi)
O'Brien SJ. 1989. Research Proposal II; An Estimate if Endemic Genetic Diversity and Molecular Taxonomy of the Florida Panther (Felis concolor coryi). Frederick, Maryland
The purpose of this proposal is two-fold. First, an estimate of the extent of genetic diversity which remains in the present Florida panther population would be assessed. The amount of genetic diversity at marker genes and at loci which participate in immune defenses (namely the feline major histocompatibility complex) would be compared to several other populations of puma from different locales in the hemisphere as well as to other felid species previously studied (7,8). Second, the molecular genetic analysis of thirteen puma subspecies would be used as a basis for molecular taxonomy (Table 1). Based upon the principles of the molecular clock hypothesis, the topology or phylogeny of subspecies divergence would be estimated. An important parameter derived from these studies would be the time elapsed since the Florida panther and other subspecies have shared a common ancestor. This value would translate into management information directly by providing a measurement which relates to the efficacy of subspecies maintenance vs. managed hybridization. The answer to this question is rather difficult since puma fossils range back to the Pliocene (2-8 million years ago) and the closest feline relative to the puma (based on earlier molecular data) dates back to over 6 million years. When one considers that the five living species of great cats, Panthera, diverged in the Pleistocene within the past 1.8 million years, the puma evolutionary history is indeed a fascinating question.