Proceedings of the Seventh Mountain Lion Workshop

108
PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF FLORIDA PANTHER GENETIC ANALYSES
WARREN E. JOHNSON, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702-1201, USA, email:
johnsonw@ncifcrf.gov
DARRELL LAND, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 566 Commercial
Blvd., Naples, FL 34104, USA, email: darrell.land@fwc.state.fl.us
JAN MORTENSON, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702-1201, USA, email:
martenoj@ncifcrf.gov
MELODY ROELKE-PARKER, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702-1201, USA,
email: roelkem@ncifcrf.gov
STEPHEN J. O’BRIEN, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702-1201, USA, email:
obriens@ncifcrf.gov
Abstract: Previous genetic analyses showed that Florida panthers (Puma concolor coryi) had the
lowest genetic diversity among all North American puma and subsequent modeling suggested
that further declines could increase the probability of extinction. Currently, there are fewer than
100 panthers in south Florida. Although on-going habitat conservation strategies may provide
long-term stability for today’s population extents, these same strategies are unlikely to allow the
population to grow to 500 or more individuals whereby genetic viability is more assured. As a
result, a plan for Florida panther genetic restoration was created in 1994 and implementation
began in the spring of 1995 with the release of 8 female Texas puma into areas occupied by
panthers. Our objectives were to monitor the effectiveness of genetic restoration by developing
an array of molecular genetic markers that characterized the status of current and past
populations, to construct a pedigree among Florida panthers to follow inheritance patterns, to
infer degrees of relatedness among individuals, and to help predict the future viability of the
population. We have completed genotyping over 175 samples from Florida panthers at 23
microsatellite loci and these included individuals from canonical Florida panthers, the
Everglades subpopulation (Piper stock), released Texas puma, crosses among all stocks, and
captive animals of unknown ancestry from the early 1970’s to the present. Genetic restoration
has increased hetereozygocity within the population, but we have documented the loss of some
panther matrilines. Certain morphological traits such as cryptorchidism, kinked tails, cowlicks,
and atrial septal defects observed in canonical panthers are not present in the Texas puma
descendants. We have identified several subgroups within our population and these subgroups
seem to be partially the product of philopatric tendencies among dispersing female offspring.
Male panthers may be physically and behaviorally capable of siring offspring earlier than
suggested by radiotelemetry work and resident and resident males are not siring all litters with
females within the respective males’ home ranges. Intraspecific aggression, a common mortality
agent for young male panthers, may not be removing panthers prior to producing offspring.
Future monitoring should ensure sampling across all panther subgroups in order to adequately
estimate total population genetic characteristics.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE SEVENTH MOUNTAIN LION WORKSHOP