Molecular Genetic Analysis Reveals Six Living Subspecies of Tiger, Panthera tigris

trolled characteristics, morphological or molecular, and a unique natural history as compared to other subspecies. Since subspecies are not distinct species, they are reproductively compatible and will periodically interbreed with adjacent subspecies. All subspecies have the potential to acquire suitable adaptations to their specific ecological habitat and the longer they are separated the more cumulative adaptation we might expect. All subspecies also have the potential to one day evolve into new species as suggested by Charles Darwin in “On The Origin of Species” in 1886. These two potentials, which are unfortunately not certain for any individual subspecies, nonetheless provide compelling rationale for their conservation management. Recognition and pronouncement of a subspecies require the description of objective heritable characters that every individual of the subspecies carries, which are in effect diagnostic for the subspecies; that is, they are found only in that subspecies and not in other populations within the same species. Avise and Ball (1991) and we suggested that valid criteria for subspecies include concordant distribution of multiple independent genetic traits. These can be morphological or molecular or both. Traditional morphology-based assessment (body size, skull characters, pelage coloration, and striping patterns)