ON THE EDGE OF EXTINCTION - A - THE TIGER (Panthera tigris)

[peter]

(07-28-2015, 01:42 AM)'tigerluver' Wrote: Modern tiger research has forgotten about the reports of populations in Borneo and maybe even the Philippines, at least they're not a point for discussion. Looking at the Sunda shelf, I took it for granted that tigers inhabited Borneo based on the current database. But a paper questioned the consensus but also pointed out supporting evidence, and I've attached it (Meihaard 1999). 

Regardless, in my opinion, tigers should have at some point been on Borneo based on the findings a tiger on Palawan, a region between Borneo and the Philippines. Piper et al. (2008) cites two fossils dating from only 12 kya. The bones (phalanx) were slightly larger than the comparitive modern Indian and island tiger fossils. Interestingly, Javan tiger phalanx are slightly bigger than the Indian specimens compared. Although, the gender of the Indian tigers are unknown, and they may simply be females. From this, I think tigers that were of the P. t. sondaica subspecies likely survived until very recently on Borneo and the Philippines. Two fossils show something slightly larger than the Javan tiger, assuming the phalanx proportions were like the Javan form's oddly large paws.

I've also attached the Palawan paper. What do you guys think of the papers analyses?
 

Thanks for the links. The Palawan paper was printed. I got Meyaard's article from Dr. Van Bree.

As for the questions. There's no doubt tigers inhabited most of the Sunda Shelf, meaning they would have inhabited (parts of) Borneo and suited regions in the Philippines. When they had to move south as a result of the rising sea level and settled on the three Indonesian islands where they survived until half a century ago, they could have been a bit larger than today. Not as large as their Pleistocene ancestors, but similar in size to most continental tigers. My guess is Java tigers were their closest relatives.

Sumatrans adapted, because of the different circumstances. There's no question Sumatran tigers have slightly shorter skulls, but they did show more range in size. Could have been a sign of recent colonization. Sumatrans could have been somewhat stockier than Javan tigers. The 'problem' Sumatrans shown in a recent BBC-documentary, I think, are a result of the ongoing war on Sumatra. Reply