Animal of the Day: The Caspian Tiger (EXTINCT)

[Im Still Ballin]

The Caspian tiger, Panthera tigris virgata, once ranged in Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey, Mongolia, and the Central Asiatic area of Russia and probably went extinct in the 1950s. Three tiger subspecies are considered to have become extinct in the past 70 years, the Bali, Caspian and Javan tigers.

Scientific Name: Panthera tigris virgata Range: Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey, Mongolia, and the Central Asiatic area of Russia

Colour image at Berlin Zoo, 1899:

Tigers were already widespread in Asia one and a half million years ago. However, recent genetic research suggests that they nearly became extinct in the late Pleistocene Era, probably about 10,000-12,000 years ago. A small remnant population survived, probably in what is now China. From this area tigers then spread out again, migrating along river valleys following their prey, mostly deer and wild pigs. Although all mainland tigers are very closely related, and may be regarded as regional populations rather than as discrete subspecies, they have developed physical or morphological adaptations to different environmental conditions.

The two varieties of tigers in the former Soviet Union represented the most easterly and westerly populations of the great cat. Amur tigers prowl the rich mixed forests in the southern Russian Far East on the Sea of Japan, while Caspian or Turanian tigers (Panthera tigris virgata) were the most westerly ranging tigers. They inhabited the basins of inland drainage of western and central Asia, wherever there was adequate prey, water and vegetation cover.

Range in 1900:

These magnificent great cats had thick, plush winter coats usually of a more reddish background colour than Amur tigers, with closer set black or sometimes brown stripes, long white belly fur and beard, though their summer coats were shorter. A little smaller than their Far Eastern relatives, adult male Caspian tigers weighed 170-240 kg and measured 270-290 cm in total length.

They were found from Turkey and Transcaucasia, in the reed beds and gallery forests along the great rivers of Central Asia, east to the edges of the lakes of Lop Nur and Bagrash Kul in Xinjiang Province, formerly known as Chinese Turkestan.

[QUOTE]The Caspian tiger

[Nick Young]

LOL EXTINCT DOE.

GET REKT


Siberian>Caspian

[JohnFreeman]

Informative thread. Thanks.

[Smook B]

LOL EXTINCT DOE.

GET REKT


Siberian>Caspian

It's endangered.

[Trollsmasher]

humans stay winnin'

[BasedTom]

rest in peace

[Im Still Ballin]

LOL EXTINCT DOE.

GET REKT


Siberian>Caspian

[QUOTE]Tigers took the silk route
January 2009. DNA from an extinct sub-species of tiger has revealed that the ancestors of modern tigers migrated through the heart of China - along what would later become known as

[Nick Young]

It's very similar to the Siberian.

Why don't we just call it a Siberian Tiger then, and say that the species used to roam as far west as the Caspian Sea?

Why classify two species when it's really the same species living in a different geographic region?

[Im Still Ballin]

Why don't we just call it a Siberian Tiger then, and say that the species used to roam as far west as the Caspian Sea?

Why classify two species when it's really the same species living in a different geographic region?

Because

The relationship is so close that the mitochondrial DNA of the two sub-species differs by just a single nucleotide.

That small difference matters

They look slightly different, roamed in different climates/regions and preyed on different living beings that consummated their diet. They are different historically from their recounts over recorded history, to their human interactions during those periods.

[Nick Young]

WTF is a nucleotide.


Good thread 10/10

This series has potential to win the Thread Series of the Year award 2016 ISH Awards at the pace its going.

[Im Still Ballin]

WTF is a nucleotide.


Good thread 10/10

This series has potential to win the Thread Series of the Year award 2016 ISH Awards at the pace its going.

Do you believe there are distinct features and differences among human races? The difference in genome makeup is so tiny, yet a difference only that big is extremely significant.

[Patrick Chewing]

I wanna see some extinct humans soon. These beautiful animals need to stop going extinct.

[SpaceJam]

Educational piece, thanks OP

Hope to see more from you

[Im Still Ballin]

Educational piece, thanks OP

Hope to see more from you

[bdreason]

What's sad is that one day all of these amazing creatures will be extinct. Replaced by 8 billion humans.