The Java Tiger (Panthera tigris sondaica)

[GuateGojira]

African and Asian original lions evolved in East Africa, but they separated and formed two different subspecies. Seidensticker & Lumpkin (2002) stated a very wide range of lion separation:

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However Mitra (2005) states a more direct date for the separation:

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If we take lion evolution as a surrogate for tiger, it seems that 100,000 years is not enough time to separate two animal groups in distinct species, but rater in two different subspecies, accomplishing the rule of the 75% difference (Kitchener, 2004; in Thapar (2004)). Asian and African lions can interbreed very well, just like the Mainland and the island tigers done in Sumatran. At difference than ligers and tigons, mixed lions (African x Asian) and tiger (Mainland x Island) do breed and are able to create entire viable populations.

I think, that if we use this data as evidence, the mainland tigers and the island tigers are the only two difference subspecies of tigers. However, genetic studies (Luo et al., 2004) states a different point of view, and as all the mainland tigers began to evolve since 70,000 years ago (after the Toba eruption) and already presents different genetic differences to form a subspecies. In this case, a difference of 100,000 years can be not enough time to create a direct species, but rater a subspecies with more than 80-90% of difference, practically at the brink of been a different taxa.

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