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.
03-29-2015, 07:11 PM( This post was last modified: 03-29-2015, 07:13 PM by Siegfried )
I sometimes wonder the degree of human civilization's effect on subspeciation. It seems to make sense that as humans inhabited larger areas, the populations of big cats became more fragmented. This limited the influx of fresh genetics and the populations became more isolated and genetically distinct. If humans went away, wouldn't the ranges of the different subspecies within a species increase and thereby eventually overlap? Although I could be wrong, I'm pretty certain that a male Bengal tiger would see a female South China tiger as just another female tiger. The distinct DNA differences that are the basis of subspeciation would eventually disappear, right?