Liger Parents Behavioral Genetics (Lions and Tigers)
A liger comprises of a dichotomous mixture of two breeding genes. The genes of the lions are built in such a way that they demand growth and the strength of the family. In simple words behaviorally it is very natural for a lion to increase its family size by producing maximum numbers of offspring and be strong to keep his whole pride safe. Therefore; the genetics of the lions specifically comprise of growth expanding genes.
However; the same is not true about the lionesses whose body prefer to be not that big but rather to keep reasonable size for hunting. If they have have a bigger size; they will not be able to hunt and as a result of that the whole pride will starve. Therefore; the females lionesses genes go for growth inhibition. Since female lionesses are not part of liger production, therefore; this growth inhibition gene from lioness is absent.
On the other hand in tigers, the competition is less. Tigers do not live in prides. They just have to mate with one tigress. Therefore, the male tiger's genes act in a normal fashion to just reproduce a cub. Male tigers have solitary nature, therefore; they the male tigers have growth inhibiting gene as part of their genetics. However; the tigresses do not possess any growth inhibiting genes because their male partner Mr. Tiger does not offer any growth expanding genes.
As a result of that, when a male lion crosses with the female lion, the male lion transfers growth promoting genes, while the female tiger unlike female lions, does not have the growth inhibiting gene. The result comes in the form of the ligers, which keep on growing empowered by the growth promoting genes and lacking growth inhibiting genes simultaneously. However, some people create a misconception that ligers grow all of their life. This is totally untrue. Ligers only grow faster than tigers and lions but they do not grow all of their lives. Ligerworld.com has studied many ligers and it is proven that ligers do not grow all of their lives but rather the ligers experience a fast paced growth as compared to lions and tigers.
The Asiatic lions are solitary too. They live just like tigers, being on their own. There is a lack of research evidence about ligers in which the male lion was from Asia. Usually people mention male African lion in their ligers' research. What if the male lion is from Asian origin which lives just like tiger? A solitary male lion may not have the growth expanding gene, but will its offspring be bigger enough like that of ligers brown with African lions? That's a big question mark and it definitely requires further studies as well.
This theory about behavioral genetics of liger parents may still take more twists and additions because currently there do seem to be couple of gaps and holes within this theory. But for the time being it is fully believed that the lion has growth expanding genes, the tigress doesn't have the growth inhibiting genes and as a result of that the offspring of lion and tigress is a huge liger.
