Evolution Of Tiger
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The tiger is an endangered species, and it is on the brink of extinction today. However, it is a prehistoric animal and has walked this earth for millions of years.
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It has a long lineage of ancestors, and the tiger that is on the extinction list is a much modified version.The earliest of the fossils found of tigers are as old as 2 million years ago. However, this timeline still does not confirm the age or the timeline of the animal. Lion, tigers, jaguars, and leopards are from the same genus. They all belong to the Panthera classification of animals. Tigers are very identical to the lions when it comes to a genetic match. Interbreeding between tigers and lions is possible, and this new species is named liger. However, this new species can only be produced in captivity. In natural circumstances, cohabitation between tigers and lions does not occur.
The origin of the tiger is also very doubtful. It could have been anywhere in South Asia. The place of origin could have been in India. The ancestors of the tigers were much bigger during the prehistoric times, but they have always been carnivores. They reduced in size as the size of the prey became smaller and smaller. However, as the size of the tiger changed, it became a better swimmer and also developed the capability to climb trees and run fast to hunt its prey.
Unfortunately, today there are less than 2000 tigers in the world. Once this species becomes extinct, there is no other species which can represent it.
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