The Florida Panther: a case in conservation genetics

     The Florida panther (Puma concolor cougar) is the only population of puma east of the Mississippi River and a vital aspect of the South Florida/Everglades ecosystem. In the 1990's, however, the population had become so small that many individuals began exhibiting physical signs of inbreeding-related deformities. In an attempt to save the species, wildlife management began a captive breeding program introducing genetic material from eight Texas pumas into the gene pool which, thus far, appears to have saved the population.
     Ochoa et al. 2019 highlight research following the first filial generations of this artificial interbreeding and highlight traits inherited from the Texas pumas that are seemingly being selected for in the new hybrid population, including traits related to refinement of special sensory apparatuses (especially vision).
     What are the ethical, scientific, and taxonomic consequences of saving a species (or in this case subspecies) through controlled interbreeding? Due to the marked adaptive advantage of hybrids over purebred, and thus inbred, panthers, the entire population will be a hybrid population. Is it better to artificially modify the genome of an entire threatened species to "save" it, or are some things meant to go extinct?

Potluck 4/7/20 Ryan McRae
Article: https://www.g3journal.org/content/ggg/9/11/3531.full.pdf
Image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_panther#/media/File:Everglades_National_Park_Florida_Panther.jpg