Ngandong Tiger (Panthera Tigris soloensis)

[GuateGojira]

(02-11-2019, 01:10 AM)smedz Wrote: After hearing about the Ngandong tiger, I thought this animal deserved it's own thread. Many questions an average person would have are 

1. How big was it? 
2. What was on it's menu? 
3. Why was it so big? 
4. What predators would it have competed with? (No vs debates please) 
5. We're they the biggest pantherine cats yet discovered? 

What are all of your thoughts?

The giant Sonda tiger is an amazing re-discovery and the credit goes to the Dr Heltler and Volmer, which started an study about predation and presented this forgothen subspecies. Latter in the AVA forum I started an investigation and found much more information in documents and other posters started sharing they data.

Here in WildFact @tigerluver and @GrizzlyClaws made an excelent work continuing with my original investigation and providing more data and even a NEW fossill!

Regarging just questions, just a few quick answers:

1. How big was it?
Check this image, based in my own calculations.

*This image is copyright of its original author

2. What was on it's menu?
Just like the modern tigers they hunted deer, boar and buffalo, but the specimens were much bigger. Check this fossil of a giant buffalo, also rhinos and hippos and those big Stegodons specimens, together with many other animals, from the Bandung Geological Museum. This place is amazing!!!

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

Please check that there skull of the Ngandong tiger is also there! So probably the big femur of 480 mm is also there.

*This image is copyright of its original author

3. Why was it so big?
Again, like modern tigers, this cat was big because the prey was also big. There is a direct correlation between the size of the tiger and the size of its prey.

4. What predators would it have competed with? (No vs debates please)
Dholes, Homotherium and leopard, as far I remember. None of them was as large as the tiger, and at the end, only the tiger and the dhole survived.

5. We're they the biggest pantherine cats yet discovered?
No, they are as big or slightly bigger than the largest cave "lions" Panthera atrox and Panthera spelaea. However until now, I am still inclined that the biggest cat, appart from Smilodon populator, is the cave "lion" Panthera spealea fossilis, by virtue of a huge skull of almoust 490 mm, the biggest ever found. Reply