Ligers, Tigons, Humazees oh my!

[Kscott]

Liger

The liger is a cross (a hybrid) between a male lion and a female tiger. It is therefore a member of genus Panthera. There is no scientific name assigned to this hybrid, but Panthera leo X tigris has been suggested. It looks like a giant lion with diffused stripes. Like tigers (and unlike lions), ligers like swimming.

Ligers grow much larger than tigers or lions and it is believed this is because female lions transmit a growth-inhibiting gene to their descendants to balance the growth-promoting gene transmitted by male lions (this gene is due to competitive mating strategies in lions).

Known male ligers have all been sterile. Many, however, reach sexual maturity and copulate with lionesses, tigresses or with female hybrids. A. H. Bryden reported in "Animal Life and the World of Nature" (1902), Already, I understand, Mr Hagenbeck has mated the big lion-tiger hybrid with other pure-bred felines, but with no result. This referred to the liger bred in 1897.
Female ligers are often fertile and can be mated to a tiger resulting in ti-liger offspring or to a lion resulting in li-liger offspring. A behavioural research program in the USA has bred a female ti-liger called Lady Kali. At 2 years old she weighed 400 lb (180 kg).

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Tigon(really simular to Ligers)

A tigon is the artificially bred hybrid of a male tiger and a female lion. There is no scientific name assigned to this hybrid, but Panthera tigris X leo has been suggested. The tigon is not as common as the converse hybrid, the liger, however in the late 1800s and early 1900s, tigons were more common than ligers. Tigons do not occur naturally in the wild, as the lion and tiger have very different behaviours and habitats.

Male tigons are sterile while the females are generally fertile. In India, a tigon named Rudhrani, born in 1971, was mated to an Asiatic lion called Debabrata and produced 7 "li-tigons" in her lifetime. Some of these reached impressive sizes - a li-tigon named Cubanacan (died 1991) weighed at least 800lb/363 kg, stood 52 inches/1.32 metres at the shoulder and 11.5ft/3.5 metres total length.

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Really intresting stuff, most importantly the femals can be fertile. This really bends the rules of what exactly a species is.


Now we get into the very controversial Humanzee(also Chumans, smade dif as Tigons and Ligers)

The Chuman (also known as the Humanzee or Manpanzee depending on which species is the father and which is the mother) is a hypothetical chimpanzee/human hybrid. Chimpanzees and humans are very closely related (most agree that they have 98.4% of their DNA in common), leading to contested speculation that a hybrid is possible.

Now looking at the genetic similarity, certainly seems possible after looking at Ligers.

There has been no scientifically verified specimen, although one, a performing chimp named Oliver, was popularized during the 1970s as a possible Chuman/Humanzee. Genetic tests conducted at the University of Chicago concluded that, despite Oliver's somewhat unusual appearance and behaviour, he was a normal chimpanzee [1], he had the same number of chromosones as normal chimpanzees, but shared a slightly different gene code. The "hybrid" claims were possibly a promotional gimmick. As a result of being humanized (habituated to humans rather than to chimps), Oliver was said to be attracted to female humans, but did not mate with chimpanzees.

There are other reporst but I dont need to give you the whole wiki article

Some people believe that if a Chuman/Humanzee existed, and if it could bear young, then that would prove that humans and chimpanzees are the same species. This is based on a misconception of what constitutes a species: for example, a female liger — the hybrid offspring of a lion and a tiger — is fertile.

Some of this stuff was on discovery channel, sounds like a very intresting possibility.

Anyways, just thought it fansinating...

[Fabolous]

Ok, now that is all just weird. Ligers are awesome. But anymore than that is just too far.

[Siblesz]

Interesting stuff... Gene altering is always very interesting.

Hehehe... everytime I hear the word 'liger', it reminds me of this liger:

[Kscott]

The coolest thing is Ligers size. I posted a little info why, here is the result



They seem like they would be a more succesful race with this kinda size.


lol Sibs

[Fabolous]

Man, as Sim pointed out to me on IRC, the wiki articles for these things are incredible. And long for the liger and tigon.

I am still disturbed by Humanzees. The thought of someone having sex with a monkey is horrible.

[Kscott]

And aparently Humanzees(if they ever have existed) very much like having sex with humans. (or trying to anyways).

And though I would post a pic of a tigon



Notice they dont get the size loophole that Ligers do. Aparentyl in the 1800's these were much more common than the Ligers, but now they are extremly rare.
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And Oliver the alledged Humanzee, look at the evidence yourself and decide if he is real....

[Fabolous]

And aparently Humanzees(if they ever have existed) very much like having sex with humans. (or trying to anyways).

Apparently like it enough to kill for it. But somehow I doubt there existance. To this point anyways. In the future some scientist will want to be the first...

EDIT: Oliver is one ugly monkey... :wink:

[TheKwas]

Come on guys, a pussy is a pussy right?

[Kscott]

Come on guys, a pussy is a pussy right?

I know(hope) your kidding, but....

[Fabolous]

Come on guys, a pussy is a pussy right?

No. No it isn't. No it really really isn't.

[Kscott]

well here are some other hybrids. You all know the mule so I am not posting

Zorse

(also zonkies and other things, but all similiar)

Wolphin-very rare

wolphin or wholphin is a rare hybrid, formed from a cross between a bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus (mother), and a false killer whale Pseudorca crassidens (father). Although they have been reported to exist in the wild, there are currently only two in captivity, both at the Sea Life Park in Hawaii.
The first captive wolphin (whale/dolphin) hybrid occurred in captivity in 1985 where a female bottlenose dolphin and a male false killer whale shared a pool. The Wolphin's size, colour and shape are intermediate between the parent species. Named Kekaimalu, she has 66 teeth - intermediate between a Bottlenose (88 teeth) and False Killer Whale (44 teeth). The Wholphin proved fertile when she gave birth to a calf sired by a Bottlenose Dolphin; the calf was three quarters dolphin/one quarter Whale and thus looks more like a dolphin. Despite being fertile, Kekaimalu did not mother the calf (this is not uncommon in captive dolphins and was probably not related to her being a hybrid), but it was successfully hand-reared.
On December 23, 2004, the mother—a 50-50 hybrid—gave birth to a baby which is three quarters bottlenose dolphin and one quarter false killer whale. Both remain in captivity, and are not part of the normal tour at Sea Life Park. The backstage tour must be taken to see the Wolphins. This second calf was also sired by a Bottlenose dolphin and at 6 months old was already the size of a 1 year old Bottlenose. The False Killer Whale is not a whale at all, but is a type of dolphin. Herds of False Killer Whales and Bottlenose Dolphins associate together in the wild and there are unsubstantiated tales of natural hybrids between the two species.

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My new fav
Leopon(Lepard/lioness)

Leopons are the offspring of a male leopard and a lioness. They have been bred in zoos in India, Japan, Germany and Italy (this latter was more correctly a Lipard - offspring of a lion and leopardess). Karl Hagenbeck, who produced many different hybrids, recorded the birth of leopons at the Hamburg Tierpark in Germany, but none survived to maturity. There is also a report of a natural leopard/lioness mating where a lioness was expelled from her pride and formed an alliance with a male leopard. When the lioness came on heat, she was mated by the leopard and allegedly gave birth to leopon cubs. The Marozi is claimed to be a naturally occurring leopard/lion hybrid. A leopon "flat study skin and skull" from the Kolhapur Zoo in India (bred in 1910) was donated to the British Museum of Natural History by Lt Col FW Wodehouse of the Junior United Services sometime before 1940. The more famous Japanese leopons are preserved as mounted specimens in Japan.

[Siblesz]

Since your link doesn't work:

Leopon:



Wow... beautiful yet awkward creature.


And the zorse is funny, too.

[Kscott]

hmm... Link works pefectly fine for me....

but I agree,

Another crazy critter,

Cama(camel/llama)

[Fabolous]

Wolphin? That is very cool.

The differnt horse, zebra, donkey, etc. combos are not very enteresting.

The different cat combos are fun. Very beautiful animals they are.

[Kscott]

Whats intresting is most of these combos are Fertile, which means they probably need to redifine species which is, A group of oganisims that can reproduce and have fertile offspring..

[Lord Tomyris]

I thought TheKwas meant that a pussy (cat) is a pussy (cat), downplaying the significance of these cross-breeds...

Hmm...woman gets raped by chimpanzee. Interesting court case that would be.

[TheKwas]

Tomyris obviously doesn't know my sense of humour ^_^

Hide the face, hit the base.

[Ulyaoth]

Since your link doesn't work:

Leopon:



Wow... beautiful yet awkward creature.


And the zorse is funny, too.

That thing's so cool, I want one for a pet...

[Fabolous]

Tomyris obviously doesn't know my sense of humour ^_^

Hide the face, hit the base.

Nasty...

[MaximiIian]

Now we get into the very controversial Humanzee(also Chumans, smade dif as Tigons and Ligers)

Thing is, Tigers and Lions are of the same genus, they are both felines. While chimps and man are both primates, the are not of the same genus, homo. This is why (I think) a tigon & liger can work, but not chuman/humazee exist.