After the population of Florida panthers (Puma concolor) fell to several dozen, scientists developed a plan to save this endangered species. They moved eight panthers from a different subspecies in Texas into the Florida panthers’ habitat so that the two would interbreed. This interbreeding will help the panthers because:

A) the new population will carry a greater proportion of dominant alleles
B) matings between subspecies will produce offspring with recessive phenotypes
C) a higher rate of homozygosity will ensure that more individuals are able to fight diseases
D) natural selection can favor panthers that respond positively to changes in the environment