The Terai Tiger

[Rishi]

Quote:

*This image is copyright of its original author

A fact which has caught my attention is that the Chitwan cats show a high frequency of presence of the Tig*5 mitochondrial-DNA halotype, like its central-indian cousins...unlike the TAL or NE-indian ones.
I have had always thought (without proof though, until now) that tigers of Eastern Terai should have had the maximum amount of genetic intermixing with the central indian population. 

Because of absence of human barrier, that started severing the Terai from the south since late 16th century. Take a look at the following maps...

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

See the region where the Gangetic-valley is the narrowest?.. Just north of that, the C-shaped river is the Kosi river, called the "sorrow of Bihar" as the annual floods affect about 21000 km2 of fertile agricultural lands, thereby destroying the rural economy & displacing local population. 
Also Kosi changes her course a lot, decimating any permanent built-up sreas. 

Until mid-19th century that region was THE most sparcely populated & cultivated region in all of northern subcontinent.
For a few months after the monsoons, the region converted into a wild flood-plain (like Kaziranga) to be reclaimed by people until the following year's monsoon.

If the two tiger populations had interacted in recent past, it would have been through this corridor!!!

PS: Although this hypothesis is totally just a personal opinion, the data provided are concrete. Reply