he origin of the tiger is also a very interesting question. Similar to taxonomy and with taxonomy, it agrees not complete the zoology, how the pedigree the precise tigers looks. However, appearance should not be raised, that the scientists cerium quarreled are, separate it specifies different opinions in the detail because the sand and wholes nevertheless agrees one during this question formulation. It is of course never very impossible whether it with time are nonetheless not nevertheless still changes in the case of origin theory.

I still would like to deal with a frequent error before I begin with the actual topic. The so-called sawing tooth cats are meant here and/or the sawing tooth tiger in the specific one. The sawing tooth tiger appertains taxonomic to the cats and a form which is to be found in the sub-family Machairodontinae is. By the unhappy name choice, one would be able to accept however, that is not like this that the sawing tooth tiger is an ancestor of the tigers existing today. The sawing tooth tiger that existed in the Oligozaen until the Pleistocene through .  H. before 35   million to before about 10  000  year, is so close to the tiger from biological point of view, as for example also the lion. Therefore, it exists no direct kinship between sawing tooth tigers (Smilodon too) and tiger.

saber-tooth tiger modellsaber-tooth tiger skull

The oldest found fossilies of sawing tooth tigers came from North America and Europe. The sawing tooth tigers also extended to Asia and Africa later and they settled South America in the end. 1999 reported the US american university of Kansas via a kind detected in Florida again which existed about before one million years (Xenosmilus). The size spectrum of the different kinds which developed presumably independent from each other was extensive as as next to the contemporary cats but were by no means tigers these animals; some paleontologist even question assignment to the cats.

The gigantic, knife similar fangs which 18 centimeters or more one passed over the sub-jaw were the most striking feature. The animals were very muscular and could open the mouth very far in order to use the fangs. It is fuzzy whether latter ones were employed to the booty hunt or for quarrels among fellows. The sawing tooth tigers were carnivore and also could big booty animals (.. .  bar. mastodon) tear. They became probably extinct because such animals disappeared from their living space.

Relatives of the tiger removed however enough now to the sawing tooth tiger and the other one. All members of the family Felidae can traced back to the group Miacoidae, those existed in the old tertiary, may be. The first of science confessed the Proailurinae forms from cats sind/waren. One goes out from that that all carnivores existing today go back to the Miacoidae and one also can a direct development direction to the Proailurinae and therefore the Felidae, recognize.

A very important cat lower family, the Nimravinae (appearing sawing tooth cats) existed in the ubber-eozaen. The representatives of this sub-family (like Nimravus, Nimravides and Dinictis) however, is become extinct today all. Why were the Nimravinae so meaning? You are bridge animals - like the Archaeopteryx between Sauriern and birds. All cat kinds confessed until then are taken as a ancestor of the Neofelidae existing today (new genuine cats). The Nimravinae showed intermediate features which provide Proailurinen alto tertiary between the Neofelidae and that.

If the origin of the tiger interests us, we must from now on take the Pantherinae or the Pantherini in visor. The elimination of the panther or large cats of the remaining inheriting lines is presumable in the mio-pliozaenen European one to find mainland. However, the large cats are no simple elimination but a further development in nature. Brash as hamper argue with it that the features of the contemporary Felinae are closer to the initial Felidae than this is this next to panther cats. The kind Unica that today to the Pantherini counted is appears actual to occupy a intermediate position between the big and the small cats. The snow leopard (as a kind of the Unica) is clearly more primitive than that is tiger, lion, leopard or other Panthera - from phylogenetischer point of view.

Within the Panthera, the leopard is the cat remained most initial after genetic investigations. Since the cats resulted on the European mainland, these could extend into every world from here from. Therefore, all American cat kinds must also be considered. In such a way, one secures that the nearest relative of the leopards is the jaguar although this stands the tiger from ecological point of view more closely. Fossils finds for result come both the lion and the tiger of early leopard similar forms off.

Accentuation is on leopard similar cat forms, it should not mean that tiger and lion are descended from the leopard.

However, the compartmentalization of the tiger seems very early to have come about, because the tiger is that best specialized cat under that Panthera. He stands the other large cats farther and therefore, was divided again and again into an own sub-kind (e.g. Panthera Tigris [Oken] tigris tigris - for the Indian tiger).

There are not very many finds tiger remains in the actual development direction, however, the few finds make some inferences possible. So is clear that itself very widespread the tigers already in the Pleistocene had. In such a way, finds many parts eurasia are confessed up to Japan and Sumatra. The former tigers for instance corresponded to the contemporary amoytiger (Panthera tigris amoyensis) at the size - which is threatened acutely by extinction (amoytiger).

I would like to at this point make a postscript both for anatomy and for taxonomy. After investigations on fossil tiger finds is to be introduced justified according to scientific opinion it own fossil sub-kinds, there the rezent tigers nevertheless considerably other features show as the Pleistocene tigers one opens between the fossil tiger of the continent and Djawas. To the 8 sub-kinds of the tigers known us consequently, two are added further, this would be the continental Pleistocene tigers Panthera tigris acutidens and the Pleistocene tigers Djawas (Java) Panthera tigris trinilensis. Big specimens of these tigers could achieve the measures of contemporary Indian tigers in exceptions. The island tigers of former time were less through the bank.

As a conclusion from these finding, one can say that the ussuritiger existing today is the biggest and sometime existent genuine tiger. The thought center of the origin the tiger is in the field of the contemporary northeast China and/or of the southern Sibiria to find. Increase for spreading the you can find out tiger on the page "circulation". On these pages, you too more can find out over it why it is more valid that the tiger is an animal which came from the north and why he can be actual no southern animal.

At this point I would like to quote a statement of H. Hemmer: "The emphasis body relation of the individual kinds and of sub-kinds of the panther cats ... shows a confirmation that Bergmann's rule for the tiger ... and advise the end that tiger and lion had their origin centers in fields of cooler climate and/or of more open landscapes as the leopard.".

In the case of the origin history of the tiger also runs today one into the one or other puzzles that waits up to now for a solution. So is not clear, why the tigers on the island less and less became. There are two approaches which are more than obviously. This would be first: "The less the island the smaller the tiger that existing on it" or "The peripheral the situation of the island in southeast Asia the smaller the tigers that existing on it". Both ends lack each more scientifically basis. The mechanism behind this shaping of the sizes next to tigers of the species Panthera tigris is still unknown.

The degree of affinity with the Felidae existing today is clarified in my opinion sufficing and I would like to therefore deal at the end still immediately with extinct relatives. One mentioned on the average, is the tiger and especially the ussuritiger, larger than the lion as already at some places. The greatest lion kind Panthera leo krugeri in the Krueger National Park existing today is a little less than the nominatform of the tiger. A lion kind already extinct before some time however could almost achieve the size of the contemporary ussuritiger. The speech is by the so-called big-pre-lion Panthera fossilis. This big-pre-lion did not indeed stand the tiger so near as the cave lion Panthera leo spelaea, however, is a narrower relative as the cheetah.

Other large cats those were lion similar and Felis shawi are not investigated well enough for that one would be able to bring her into narrower connection with the tiger. Felis shawi is also incorporated into newer time into the kind Panthera, however, I do not consider that here since it has a very subordinate role to play - in the reference to the tiger. Too Panthera atrox should still be mentioned. It sells themselves next to this animal around a so-called one aurochs lion, that the American continent of the younger one Pleistocene populated ones.

To the numerous details in the case of origin the tigers would like I here and refuse today since they get in so deep topic, that the look is sometimes missing me herself for the essential. For information about taxonomy of the lions and of the other large cats (except for the tiger) you would be able to gladly employ the Taxo 2.1 script. In the case of Taxo 2.1, you receive a view via systematical arrangement of the large cats. There is of course an own taxonomy for the tiger itself.

For information about the biohistology of the tiger please, go at the page "biohistological". Should you have still questions for origin of the tiger, then write me an email: