There is a world somewhere between reality and fiction. Although ignored by many, it is very real and so are those living in it. This forum is about the natural world. Here, wild animals will be heard and respected. The forum offers a glimpse into an unknown world as well as a room with a view on the present and the future. Anyone able to speak on behalf of those living in the emerald forest and the deep blue sea is invited to join.
07-04-2015, 10:53 AM( This post was last modified: 07-04-2015, 10:54 AM by GuateGojira )
Wow, imagine that, eleven forms!
I read some time ago, from a study of Dr Stephen O'Brien, that the genetic differences between tiger population and lion populations (intra-specifically, of course), are smaller than that between human populations.
Using also skulls only, don't provide all the image, check how different are the skulls from a human in Europe from one from India, Namibia or Australia (native ones). Still, we are all humans, despite our external differences and colors. I think that, at some point, tigers are about the same, with the only difference that the Island population is different from the mainland one, just like the Homo Floreciensis was different from the Homo Sapiens or the Neanderthal cousin.
Dr Kitchener proposed a difference of 75% for been a "subspecies", but if we follow this, many accepted "subspecies" will be only distant populations of a same population, just like jaguars for example (there is only one single species with no subspecies, just clinal variations).