Freak Felids - A Discussion of History's Largest Felines

[GuateGojira]

There are many points here:

1. The teeth for sale are probably models from the original fossil, and if you see them, none are larger than modern tigers (38.1 mm the largest one, probably in antero-posterior length). The seller is just exaggerating the piece, but the Pm4 itself (which is the largest of the two) is no larger than the modern ones from India and Russia.

2. The skulls of Sunda tigers have the characteristic that they have small of non-existent sagital crest, bu they have relative larger dentition and a narrow occiput. This is what I remember from J. H. Mazák facts. Judging by the size, the Ngandong tiger skull is from a large male, although not exceptional like the femur.

3. Interestingly, there is little variation between the female tigers on the entire territory, while there are more variations between males, specially on the size issue, this according with Dr Kitchener. In this case, there is little variation between an Indian, a Russian or a Chinese tigress skull, but in the case of males, the size and form differences are most dramatic. J. H. Mazák stated that in the case of the Amur tigers, the skulls of males and females are so different that it seems like if they were two different animals.
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