part lion - part tiger
Discussion
I think they are both sterile as when two different species mate(such as lions or tigers, or donkeys and horses) the resulting offspring have an uneven number of chromosomes,
so when meiosis occurs(reproductive cell division)in these creatures the resulting gametes are sterile.
The most common is a mule, which is the offspring of a horse and donkey.
This is all stuff i learnt last year in A2 and im forgetting it so fast....
all the best
adam
so when meiosis occurs(reproductive cell division)in these creatures the resulting gametes are sterile.
The most common is a mule, which is the offspring of a horse and donkey.
This is all stuff i learnt last year in A2 and im forgetting it so fast....
all the best
adam
There was something on telly recently about the liger. The program concerned a chimpanzee which had very human-like features - speculation was that a human & chimp had bonded.
Anyway, the size of the liger was attributed to the growth inhibiting DNA information not being carried over, as this was normally found in the gender of tiger / lion (can't remember which) which wasn't involved in the fertilisation.
from http://members.aol.com/jshartwell/hybrid-bigcats.html :
WHY ARE LIGERS SO MUCH BIGGER THAN TIGONS?
The large size of the liger and small size of the tigon is due to "genomic imprinting" - the unequel expression of genes depending on parent of origin i.e. whether certain growth genes are inherited from the male or the female. The following explanation is greatly simplified.
This is linked to the species' lifestyle and breeding strategy - whether the female mates with only one male while in heat (non-competitive) or whether she mates with many males (competitive). Genes contributed by the father promote size of the offspring to ensure that his offspring survive and out-compete any other offspring in the womb at the same time. Genes from the female inhibit growth to ensure that as many offspring as possible survive and that they all have an equal chance. This works fine if both parents are the same species as the two effects are held in equilibrium.
Lions live in prides led by several adult males. Each of those males mates with a female on heat. Each male wants his offspring to be the ones to survive, so his genes will promote larger offspring. To compensate, the female's genes inhibit the growth of the offspring.
Tigers are largely solitary and the female normally only mates with one male when on heat. There is no competition for space in the womb so the male tiger's genes do not need to promote larger offspring. There is therefore no need for the female to compensate, so growth goes uninhibited.
When a male lion mates with a tigress, his genes promote large offspring because lions are adapted to a competitive breeding strategy. The tigress does not inhibit the growth because she is adapted to a non-competitive strategy. Therefore the offspring (liger) grows larger and stronger than either parent because the effects do not cancel each other out.
When a male tiger mates with a lioness, his genes are not promoting large growth of the offspring because he is not adapted to a competitive breeding strategy. However, the lioness is adapted to a competitive strategy and her genes inhibit the growth of the developing cubs. This uneven match means that the offspring (tigons) are often smaller and less robust than either parent.
This mismatch results in "growth dysplasia" which has other effects: the size of the placenta may be affected (causing miscarriage), the embryo may be aborted at an early stage due to abnormal growth, the cub may be stillborn or may only survive a few days. In some rodents, mating Species A males with Species B females produces offspring half normal size, but mating Species B males with Species A females cause the offspring to be aborted as they try to grow to several times the normal size.
A number of other genes are contributed unequally by the male and female parents and this will affect the general health and longevity of the offspring.
>> Edited by Chris Type R on Wednesday 16th February 15:09
Anyway, the size of the liger was attributed to the growth inhibiting DNA information not being carried over, as this was normally found in the gender of tiger / lion (can't remember which) which wasn't involved in the fertilisation.
from http://members.aol.com/jshartwell/hybrid-bigcats.html :
WHY ARE LIGERS SO MUCH BIGGER THAN TIGONS?
The large size of the liger and small size of the tigon is due to "genomic imprinting" - the unequel expression of genes depending on parent of origin i.e. whether certain growth genes are inherited from the male or the female. The following explanation is greatly simplified.
This is linked to the species' lifestyle and breeding strategy - whether the female mates with only one male while in heat (non-competitive) or whether she mates with many males (competitive). Genes contributed by the father promote size of the offspring to ensure that his offspring survive and out-compete any other offspring in the womb at the same time. Genes from the female inhibit growth to ensure that as many offspring as possible survive and that they all have an equal chance. This works fine if both parents are the same species as the two effects are held in equilibrium.
Lions live in prides led by several adult males. Each of those males mates with a female on heat. Each male wants his offspring to be the ones to survive, so his genes will promote larger offspring. To compensate, the female's genes inhibit the growth of the offspring.
Tigers are largely solitary and the female normally only mates with one male when on heat. There is no competition for space in the womb so the male tiger's genes do not need to promote larger offspring. There is therefore no need for the female to compensate, so growth goes uninhibited.
When a male lion mates with a tigress, his genes promote large offspring because lions are adapted to a competitive breeding strategy. The tigress does not inhibit the growth because she is adapted to a non-competitive strategy. Therefore the offspring (liger) grows larger and stronger than either parent because the effects do not cancel each other out.
When a male tiger mates with a lioness, his genes are not promoting large growth of the offspring because he is not adapted to a competitive breeding strategy. However, the lioness is adapted to a competitive strategy and her genes inhibit the growth of the developing cubs. This uneven match means that the offspring (tigons) are often smaller and less robust than either parent.
This mismatch results in "growth dysplasia" which has other effects: the size of the placenta may be affected (causing miscarriage), the embryo may be aborted at an early stage due to abnormal growth, the cub may be stillborn or may only survive a few days. In some rodents, mating Species A males with Species B females produces offspring half normal size, but mating Species B males with Species A females cause the offspring to be aborted as they try to grow to several times the normal size.
A number of other genes are contributed unequally by the male and female parents and this will affect the general health and longevity of the offspring.
>> Edited by Chris Type R on Wednesday 16th February 15:09
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