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.
09-15-2016, 06:39 AM( This post was last modified: 09-15-2016, 06:52 AM by peter )
The skull of the wild male Indian tiger was one of the most robust I saw. The occiput was broken during a transport and reconstructed later. The greatest total length of the skull after reconstruction, from memory, was just under 350,00 mm., but the other measurements suggested 360,00-365,00 mm. would be closer to the mark. Reconstructing a skull takes a lot of knowledge and skill.
Skulls of wild male lions also were impressive. In most cases, they were a bit longer (up to just over 380,00 mm.). The main differences between wild male lions and wild male tigers are in the teeth (pm4 larger in lions and upper canine larger in tigers) and the width (about similar, but Indian tigers have shorter skulls). The widest skulls I saw (up to 276,00 mm.), however, were skulls of captive African male lions. For some reason, their skulls were strongly affected by captive conditions. Skulls of captive male Indian lions, on the other hand, were not.
The occiput of Indian lions is similar to the occiput of Javan tigers (constricted). Another difference between Indian lions and their African relatives is in the mandibula. In skulls of wild male African lions, the mandibula often is convex. In skulls of wild male Indian lions, the mandibula is straighter.