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.
11-09-2014, 12:32 PM( This post was last modified: 11-09-2014, 12:43 PM by tigerluver )
Kaziranga tigers are being reported to kill rhinos and elephants, I think cattle killer is now a feat of the past. Nevertheless, we've no data backing the Kaziranga sizes, unfortunately, so I'm implying nothing.
I'm talking size as a species, in evolutionary terms. One needs to look past the individual level, individuals are a moment in the evolutionary timeline of a species. If size was so beneficial, why'd the Ngandong tiger end up 1/3 of its size by the Holocene? Why do modern tigers struggle to get past 270 kg, even though it is so common for males to attain this size nowadays? Wouldn't we expect size increases to edge out competitors? Simple, environmental resources conquer all. Being bigger is a pro in some ways, like territory and competition, but the energy cost outweighs this pro if the resources simply are not there. By your theory, we should have 300 kg wolves by now as the bigger the better no matter what, but that energy cost can't be made up by the environment. Instead, everything has majorly downsized since the Pleistocene now due to lack of energy sources.