There is a world somewhere between reality and fiction. Although ignored by many, it is very real and so are those living in it. This forum is about the natural world. Here, wild animals will be heard and respected. The forum offers a glimpse into an unknown world as well as a room with a view on the present and the future. Anyone able to speak on behalf of those living in the emerald forest and the deep blue sea is invited to join.
The sample size is probably another major problem with analyzing the South China tigers phylogenetic position. We have plenty of samples from the other species, but the South China form is just about extinct. That cause a raw sample problem, as we have less actual samples to test. On a population genetics scale, a small (very small in this case) will not only lead to a genetic bottleneck, but there will also be genetic drift (the gene pool, by random chance, changes composition in a given direction), making the remnant population not a great representative of the true population genetic makeup.
Had we had more South China tigers, maybe we could get its true phylogenetic position determined better, rather than having conflicting studies on its positioning.