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| Tiger - Panthera tigris | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Jan 7 2012, 08:50 PM (34,929 Views) | |
| Flesh | May 26 2018, 05:23 AM Post #106 |
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Autotrophic Organism
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You Know Black Panthers. But Have You Ever Heard of Odisha’s Black Tigers? Found only in Odisha, Black Tigers are much less known and spoken about than the Bengal Tiger and the White Tiger. In April 2018, Chhattisgarh reported a sighting of a black panther after 24 years, bringing immense joy to wildlife enthusiasts. What is a black panther? How did it come to Chhattisgarh and what does it mean for the black panther population in the state? You can find out all about it in our story here. Recently, the Odisha Forest Department also spotted a black panther in the Sundergarh forest, which makes it probably the only state in India which is home to both black panthers and black tigers! We are all familiar with the Bengal tiger, the magnificent beast which prowls the land in search of prey; the soundless feline who hides from you even in plain sight. But what about the black tiger, which is lesser known or spoken about than the Bengal tiger or even the white tiger? ![]() A black tiger in Odisha. Credits: Benjamin Carey FTS Found only in Odisha, the numbers of the black tiger do not look too good. Back in 2006, the state housed about 45, and 2015, the count was down to 28. What does it mean for the black tiger population in Odisha? Is the species on the verge of extinction, and if so, why are we not panicking yet? Well, we may not have all the answers, but here are some facts that will help you understand the situation of black tigers in the wild a little better. Black tigers are not a separate species or sub-species of tigers. They are a distinct colour variant of the Bengal tiger, and their all-black colour is due to a melanistic pigmentation. ![]() Credits: Wildlife Institute of India. Due to this pseudo-melanism, their black stripes are so close that the orange background is hardly seen, and this is why they appear as ‘black.’ This rare occurrence seems to be getting increasingly common in Odisha, presumably due to inbreeding. Black tigers have even been reported to have smaller bodies than regular tigers, probably because of inbreeding. But this is not to say that these tigers are weak and cannot survive as well as the Bengal tiger. In fact, they have existed in the jungles of Odisha since the 1990s, and that is when the reports of their existence came in. We can never say for sure that they did not exist before they were reported, because in the wild, the lack of evidence, does not necessarily translate to the lack of existence. ![]() Representational image of a tiger. Credits: Sanshiro. Living exclusively in the jungles of Odisha, black tigers have a gene pool of their own. Although they are not a separate species, a reduction in their numbers cannot be brushed off as unimportant, and it is certainly essential to bring their conservation under the spotlight. https://www.thebetterindia.com/142536/black-panthers-odisha-black-tigers/ |
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| Flesh | May 27 2018, 07:17 AM Post #107 |
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Autotrophic Organism
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Royal Bengal tiger genome sequenced Y. Mallikarjun MAY 19, 2018 21:21 IST UPDATED: MAY 19, 2018 21:21 IST It will help in precise understanding of tiger's evolutionary linkage For the first time, the genome of the Royal Bengal tiger, an endangered big cat, has been sequenced as part of plans to generate a high-quality draft genome sequence of the animal. Although endangered and threatened by various extinction risks, this tiger subspecies is the most populous one with the highest genetic diversity and the strongest chance of survival in the wild. The high coverage genome sequencing and identification of genome variants in Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) were carried out by scientists from the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CSIR-CCMB) and a Hyderabad-based private company. The details of the study were published online in BioRxiv recently. This genome was compared with the genome of Amur or Siberian tiger. These two subspecies occur in diverse environments and the new data also reveals major variations between the two. While Amur tiger occurs exclusively in sub-temperate and snow-covered habitats, the Bengal tiger occupies diverse tropical habitats ranging from Himalayan foothills to Central India plateau and the Western Ghats. Genome data provides an insight into the genetic differences at individual level — ranging from single nucleotide variations to large structural variants. It also provides a better understanding of how the gene variants play a role in adaptation to the environment and disease susceptibility. In other words, it will reveal the changes triggered in the genes due to the adaptability to different environments in the evolutionary time scale. The study observed “For a very long time it was believed that single nucleotide variants (SNVs) contribute to a majority of the individual genomic variations. Now it is recognized, albeit poorly understood, that much larger changes in the genome like structural variants and copy number variants also contribute significantly to disease susceptibility, phenotypic variations and immunity”. The researchers claim that this is the first report on the discovery of copy number variants and large structural variants in the genome of a wild, endangered species. The comprehensive data of Bengal tiger and Amur tiger genome sequences “will initiate our understanding on genomic changes and the species ability to adapt to discreet habitats”, the scientists write. The identification of numerous Simple Sequence Repeats (SSRs) will help in gaining a better insight into population genetics and gene flow. Dr. P. Anuradha Reddy, the lead author of the paper said that the numerous SSRs and SNVs identified in the genome can be used to strengthen forensic evidence in tiger poaching cases. Such studies will also help in improving conservation management as authorities attempting to relocate an endangered animal will have a better understanding of its adaptability to the new environment. CCMB Director, Dr. Rakesh Mishra said that genome sequencing will help in precise understanding of the evolutionary linkage of the organism. Besides, epigenetic analysis becomes possible once the genome is available. http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/royal-bengal-tiger-genome-sequenced/article23937958.ece |
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| Lightning | May 27 2018, 07:22 AM Post #108 |
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Omnivore
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This is really interested!, thanks for posting it. |
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| Flesh | May 30 2018, 05:25 PM Post #109 |
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Autotrophic Organism
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To Save More Endangered Tigers, Fifth Biggest Reserve Is Coming Up In Tamil Nadu Indiatimes | Updated: May 26, 2018 Tigers were not long ago listed as one of the most endangered species of animals. Several efforts have been made to increase their number, and each state in India is trying their best to help these wild cats thrive. In one such significant push for conservation efforts, the Tamil Nadu state government will now form the fifth and biggest tiger reserve in Tamil Nadu measuring over one lakh hectares, which will be called as Megamalai-Srivilliputhur tiger reserve. ![]() REUTERS According to a report by the New Indian Express, population of tigers has witnessed a steep increase and has tripled in Tamil Nadu itself in just eight years between2006 and 2014. From 76 tigers in 2006, the number of big cats shot-up to 229 in 2014, as per a report on the Status of Tigers in India - 2014 by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). Officials say the number is likely to increase further considering the healthy sightings reported in the ongoing All-India Tiger Estimation. ![]() REUTERS If the State government declares the new tiger reserve, it will help forest department evolve better management plan for conservation. Recently, at an event organised to remark International Biodiversity Day, Forest minister Dindigul C Sreenivasan and secretary Nasimuddin hinted at expediting formation of the reserve. SP Yadav, a former deputy inspector general of NTCA and also ex-assistant secretary-general of Global Tiger Forum (GTF), said that Tamil Nadu government should declare the new tiger reserve as early as possible. In India, 26% of tigers are outside tiger reserves and it becomes problematic to manage all of such areas. India specific Management Effectiveness Evaluation is in progress and hope the NTCA will be able to make it public it in 2018,” he said highlighting importance of bringing more tiger landscape into protected area. https://www.indiatimes.com/news/india/to-save-more-endangered-tigers-fifth-biggest-reserve-is-coming-up-in-tamil-nadu-346154.html |
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