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(12-30-2016, 07:23 PM)parvez Wrote: The main factors involved may be muscular robusticity and stockiness. As I have explained in my previous posts, both of them may be due to predictable vegetation in these areas. The tiger must not be having problems or finding it difficult to traverse these forests. So, it clearly has in mind on how to evolve in next generation. So, it has the opportunity to express it's highest potential in terms of morphology and size. So, they may be evolving to their highest potential in terms of robusticity and stockiness.
Or there may be other factor too as it is explained in the essay. The genes of indo chinese tigers can also be a factor. Though it may take time to mix these genes into the bengal dna as per the conditions of the subcontinent, they seem to be becoming more robust this way.
A sample comparison between northeast tiger and the tigers from rest of India(at equal shoulder heights), look how impressive are northeast tigers,
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*This image is copyright of its original author
Agree, although the Indochinese tigers are generally smaller, but it doesn't mean that their offspring with the Bengal tigers would also become smaller.
The hybrid mutation could likely trigger the gigantism gene.