Research overview: genetics of the extinct Caspian tiger

The Caspian tiger of Central and Western Asia went extinct in the twentieth century, but genetic analysis of museum specimens revealed a close relationship to the surviving Amur tiger, suggesting the two were separated only recently by human-caused range fragmentation. This overview surveys the ancient and historical DNA evidence for this link, the inference that Caspian and Amur tigers shared a common origin and dispersal corridor across Asia, and the resulting proposal to use Amur tigers as a surrogate for restoring tigers to parts of Central Asia. It discusses the genetic rationale and ecological challenges of such a rewilding ambition.