Wanhsien tiger ~

[Wolverine]

(09-09-2018, 10:14 AM)GuateGojira Wrote: To be honest, I think that even at double of the weight (260 kg againts 500 kg), tigers are a treath to any giant primate. If not, check some cases of leopards of 50-60 kg hunting an killing gorillas of 130 - 140 kg, which is the weight of a young male gorilla, a "black back".

This is really fascinating question. Here we have to take into account that hominids don't posses deadly sharp claws (as the big cats), but in same time beside their gigantic physical power they have also huge canine teeth and very powerful bite. Canine teeth of gorilla are 5 cm long, same size as the lion's. The canines of the primates are created not so much to cut pieces of meat as the cats, but to make deep painful wounds in order to change the mind of the predator. Bite force of gorilla is one of the strongest in the animal kingdom:
http://thechive.com/2015/09/17/the-stron...25-photos/

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Orangutan:

*This image is copyright of its original author

Probably few predators like to connect with the primates, they are bad tempered, evilish creatures. And also of course hominids are much smarter than big cats.


I was also inclined to think that big cat can kill a primate up to 2 times larger then itself. But see, if this ratio is right and if giganto weighted only 300 kg (650 pounds) it can not survive and exist in the nature among tigers... But we know for certainty that gigantopitechus existed  . So obviously the first version you mentioned - it weighted up to 600 kg (1300 pounds) or more is the only possible. And actually if I'm not wrong this version is latest (from 1990) while the version that it weighted only 300 kg is earlier (from 1970) so normally the latest scientific versions are more updated. 
Despite some historical tigers had probably the largest size and linear dimentions among all cats I personally doubt that any historical tiger subspecie had a max weight more than 400 kg. Only smilodon populator and some northern cave lions probably were weighting more than 400 kg due to their more robust body structure, but this is another question. Reply