A Discussion on the Reliability of Hunting Records

[Pckts]

@WaveRiders
As what you wrote is directed to Peter, i'll let him respond in kind.
But this caught my eye
"Suggestions that tigers or other big cats grow in body size to “old age” is another myth. Skeletal developments of big cats completes by approximately 5 years of age as all major cartilages defining bone lengths have been observed to have fused by about that age. The only bones that keep growing for longer time are the ones defining the zygomathic width of the skull and the sagittal crest. Big cats generally keep adding body mass after 5 years of age into prime age, but body mass is not body size which is to be expressed by the head-and-body length, shoulder height and, intraspecifically, possibly by total length including tail."


We posted a study here on lions that showed as they aged they tended to be both longer in body and taller at the shoulder.
I wish I can find it but it involved a few members on this forum so I'm sure they'll remember as well.
As is the case with a few assumptions of yours, to determine this you would first need to take all cat sizes (body length, height and weight)
Find their ages at the time of each measuring then log it into a data base and compare. You'd also need to take any and all big cats captured multiple times over the years and compare measurements of them as well.
Since to my knowledge, that has never been done, I think the idea of you saying it is a "myth" is unfounded. And the only study I have seen on the matter tends to show that lions grow up until the age of 8 which seems to be their largest or prime age. I'll try to find the study... Reply