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67-581: The Dzhungarian Alatau consists of foothills, ridges, forts, and alpine meadows of the Northern Tian Shan (Trans-Ili Alatau, Ktmen). It is located at an altitude of 2,000m above sea level, and is over 400km long in the latitudinal direction. The Dzhungraian Alatau consists of two ranges that are distinctly parallel to each other: the northern (or main), and the southern range. The area includes several sub-parallel high mountain ranges, accompanied by low and short ranges and their spurs. It also holds

134-597: A mountain range in Central and East Asia , where Russia , China , Mongolia , and Kazakhstan converge, and where the rivers Irtysh and Ob have their headwaters. The massif merges with the Sayan Mountains in the northeast, and gradually becomes lower in the southeast, where it merges into the high plateau of the Gobi Desert . It spans from about 45° to 52° N and from about 84° to 99° E. The region

201-502: A plateau glacier during glacial times. The only remaining interglacial remnant of this glaciation is the 61 km long South Inylschek glacier. The outlet glacier tongues of the plateau glacier flowed northward down to Lake Issyk Kul , calving in this 160 km long lake. Similarly, strong glaciation was present in the high mountain area of the Kungey Alatau , which stretches for 230 km north of Issyk Kul and connects to

268-754: A big bend, the river (600 km (370 mi) long) pierces the Katun Belki , and enters a wider valley, lying at an elevation of 600–1,100 m (2,000–3,600 ft), which it follows until it emerges from the Altai highlands to join the Biya River . Here, the two rivers merge together to form the Ob River . The next valley is that of the Charysh , which has the Korgon and Tigeretsk Range on one side and

335-531: A grotto in this glacier bursts tumultuously the Katun river. The middle and lower parts of the Bukhtarma valley have been colonized since the 18th century by runaway Russian peasants, serfs, and religious schismatics ( Raskolniks ), who created a free republic there on Chinese territory ; and after this part of the valley was annexed to Russia in 1869, it was rapidly colonized. The high valleys farther north, on

402-438: A problem. The turnover of individual trees is likewise conducive to the rapid evolution of a tree species, as is the fact that sweet apples are now, at least for all practical purposes, self-incompatible—that is, they cannot pollinate themselves. Therefore each apple tree within the forest and even each pip, usually five, within each individual fruit will be different. There are many apples on a mature tree, so natural selection has

469-456: A rich and diverse population upon which to work. Birds, of course, eat all manner of fruit. But most birds eat seeds—a dietary feature not conducive either to the selection or spread of a fruit tree. Sweet apples are often eviscerated by birds, but the seeds are frequently left in the empty shell of the pome. The reason is that apple (and pear and quince) seeds are rich in cyanoglycosides, which are highly repellent, particularly to birds... Moreover,

536-502: A system of remote mountains in central Asia that cover an area of 845,000 km (326,000 sq mi). The mountains stretch for 2,525 km (1,569 mi) from northwest to southeast. In the north of the region is the Sailughem Mountains , also known as Kolyvan Altai , which stretch northeast from 49° N and 86° E towards the western extremity of the Sayan Mountains in 51° 60' N and 89° E. Their mean elevation

603-489: Is 1,500–1,750 m (4,920–5,740 ft). The snow-line runs at 2,000 m (6,600 ft) on the northern side and at 2,400 m (7,900 ft) on the southern, and above it the rugged peaks tower some 1,000 m (3,300 ft) higher. Mountain passes across the range are few and difficult, the chief being the Ulan-daban at 2,827 m (9,275 ft) (or 2,879 m (9,446 ft) according to Kozlov), and

670-616: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This Xinjiang location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Tian Shan The Tian Shan , also known as the Tengri Tagh or Tengir-Too , meaning the "Mountains of God/Heaven", is a large system of mountain ranges in Central Asia . The highest peak is at the Jengish Chokusu at 7,439 metres (24,406 ft) high. Its lowest point

737-546: Is a small herd in a nursery in the Altai Republic . Moor frogs are near bodies of water as high up as 2,000 m (6,600 ft) in the Altai mountains. The Altai mountains have retained a remarkably stable climate, changing little since the last ice age. In addition the mix of mammals has remained largely the same, with a few exceptions such as extinct mammoths, making it one of the few places on earth to retain an ice age fauna. The Altai mountains were home to

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804-531: Is also a protected site. Violations of the protection status of Argali sheep and other species have been alleged, together with accusations of corruption, in the Altaigate Scandal . The incident arose from the death of several Russian VIPs in a helicopter crash early in 2009, purportedly on a poaching excursion. The Siberian Altai represents the northernmost region affected by the tectonic collision of India into Asia. Extensive fault systems run through

871-671: Is also called Uch-Sumer. The second highest peak of the range is in Mongolian part named Khüiten Peak . This massive peak reaches 4,374 m (14,350 ft). Numerous spurs, striking in all directions from the Sailughem mountains, fill up the space between that range and the lowlands of Tomsk . Such are the Chuya Belki , having an average elevation of 2,700 m (8,900 ft), with summits from 3,500–4,177 m (11,483–13,704 ft) and several glaciers on their northern slope;

938-677: Is at the Turpan Depression , which is 154 m (505 ft) below sea level . The Tian Shan is sacred in Tengrism . Its second-highest peak is known as Khan Tengri , which can be translated as "Lord of the Spirits". At the 2013 Conference on World Heritage , the eastern portion of Tian Shan in western China's Xinjiang Region was listed as a World Heritage Site . The western portion in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan

1005-404: Is considered endangered. This salamander is threatened by poaching for medical purposes or the pet trade, over grazing, and harmful fishing practices. There are two resorts that operate in the area. They are called Tekesu and Tau Zhetisu. Tekeli can be accessed via public transport from Almaty's main bus station to Taldykurgan. From Taldykurgan, marshrutkas are available to reach Tekeli. The area

1072-622: Is derived from underlying form * altañ "gold, golden" (compare Old Turkic 𐰞𐱃𐰆𐰣 altun "gold, golden") with coda -ñ underlying the -n & -y correspondence among cognates in different Turkic languages & dialects (e.g. qōñ ~ qoy "sheep", Qitan ~ Qitay "Khitans", etc.), as well as in Mongolian. The mountains are called Altain nuruu ( Алтайн нуруу ) in Khalkha Mongolian , altai-yin niruɣu in Chakhar Mongolian , and Altay tuular ( Алтай туулар ) in

1139-445: Is inhabited by a sparse but ethnically diverse population, including Russians , Kazakhs , Altais , Tuvans , Mongols , and Volga Germans , though predominantly represented by indigenous ethnic minorities of semi-nomadic people. The local economy is based on bovine , sheep , horse husbandry , hunting , agriculture , forestry , and mining . The proposed Altaic language family takes its name from this mountain range. Altai

1206-649: Is located on the northern margin of the Tarim basin between the Kokshaal-Tau mountain chain to the south and the Terskey Alatau mountain chain to the north. The Kokshaal-Tau extends for 570 km from Pik Dankowa in the west to Pik Pobeda in the east-northeast. This mountain chain, along with the parallel Terskey Alatau and the Tian Shan plateau in between, were covered by connected ice-stream-networks and

1273-433: Is mostly unexplored. 33 species from the polymorphic genus Allium L. have been found in the area. They belong to the subgenera Rhizirideum , Allium and Melanocrommyum , and are distributed from the foothills to alpine belts. The Semirechensk Salamander ( Ranodon sibiricus ) is endemic to these mountains. It lives in streams and has highly reduced lungs. Due to its small population and extremely small distribution it

1340-632: Is often visited by climbers for alpine-style climbing. The area currently consists of approximately 4600 meters on relatively unexplored mountains. At the eastern end of the chain, near the China–Kazakhstan border , lies the Dzungarian Gate , a pass which for centuries was used as an invasion route by conquerors from Central Asia . 45°00′00″N 80°00′00″E  /  45.000000001°N 80.000000001°E  / 45.000000001; 80.000000001 This Kazakhstan location article

1407-685: Is studded with large lakes, e.g. Uvs 720 m (2,360 ft) above sea level, Khyargas , Dorgon and Khar 1,170 m (3,840 ft), and traversed by various mountain ranges , of which the principal are the Tannu-Ola Mountains , running roughly parallel with the Sayan Mountains as far east as the Kosso-gol , and the Khan Khökhii mountains, also stretching west and east. The north western and northern slopes of

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1474-634: Is very difficult. The oldest known text that describes skiing is from a Chinese text that dates to the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC to 24 AD) and refers to skiers in the Altai Mountains. A vast area of 16,178 km (6,246 sq mi) , which incorporates the Altai and Katun Natural Reserves, Lake Teletskoye , Mount Belukha , and the Ukok Plateau , this area is designated as a World Heritage Site (UNESCO), entitled

1541-783: The Altay language . They are also called Алтай таулары or التاي تاۋلارى in Kazakh ; Altajskije gory ( Алтайские горы ) in Russian ; Altay Taghliri ( ىالتاي تاغلىرى ‎ or Алтай Тағлири ) in Uyghur ; ā'ěrtài shānmài in Chinese ( 阿尔泰山脉 simplified , 阿爾泰山脈 traditional , or اَعَرتَىْ شًامَىْ in Xiao'erjing ); and Arteː shanmeː ( Артэ Шанмэ ) in Dungan . The Altai Mountains are

1608-586: The Chapchan-daban , at 3,217 m (10,554 ft), in the south and north respectively. On the east and southeast this range is flanked by the great plateau of Mongolia, the transition being affected gradually by means of several minor plateaus, such as Ukok (2,380 m (7,810 ft)) with Pazyryk Valley, Chuya (1,830 m (6,000 ft)), Kendykty (2,500 m (8,200 ft)), Kak (2,520 m (8,270 ft)), (2,590 m (8,500 ft)), and (2,410 m (7,910 ft)). This region

1675-698: The Denisovan branch of hominids who were contemporaries of Neanderthals and of Homo sapiens (modern humans), descended from Hominids who reached Asia earlier than modern humans. The Denisova hominin , dated to 40,000 years ago, was discovered in the Denisova Cave of the Altai mountains in southern Siberia in 2008. Knowledge of the Denisovan humans derives primarily from DNA evidence and artifacts, as no complete skeletons have yet been recovered. DNA evidence has been unusually well preserved because of

1742-624: The Golden Mountains of Altai . As stated in the UNESCO description of the site, "the region represents the most complete sequence of altitudinal vegetation zones in central Siberia, from steppe, forest-steppe, mixed forest, subalpine vegetation to alpine vegetation". While making its decision, UNESCO also cited Russian Altai's importance for preservation of the globally endangered mammals, such as Snow leopard , Altai argali , and Siberian ibex that live in these mountains. The Uvs Nuur basin

1809-620: The Himalayan orogenic belt , resulting from the collision of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates during the Cenozoic era. The range encompasses the Bogda Shan in the east, as defined by both Western and Chinese cartography. The Tian Shan's highest peak is Jengish Chokusu (also known as Victory Peak) , shared by Kyrgyzstan and China. At 7,439 metres (24,406 ft) high, it is

1876-659: The Katun Belki , which have a mean elevation of about 3,000 m (9,800 ft) and are mostly snow-clad; the Kholzun range; the Korgon , highest point Mayak Shangina , the Talitsk and Selitsk ranges; as well as the Tigeretsk Range . Several secondary plateaus of lower elevations are also distinguished by geographers. The Valley of the Katun river begins as a wild gorge on the south-west slope of Belukha; then, after

1943-714: The Khovd basin on the north from the Irtysh basin on the south, is a true border-range, in that it rises in a steep and lofty escarpment from the Dzungarian depression (470–900 m (1,540–2,950 ft)), but descends on the north by a relatively short slope to the plateau (1,150–1,680 m (3,770–5,510 ft)) of north-western Mongolia . East of 94° E the range is continued by a double series of mountain chains, all of which exhibit less sharply marked orographical features and are at considerably lower elevations. The slopes of

2010-650: The Qarlik Tagh and the Barkol Mountains . Then the Bogda Shan (god mountains) run from 350 to 40 kilometres (217 to 25 mi) east of Ürümqi. Then there is a low area between Ürümqi and the Turfan Depression . The Borohoro Mountains start just south of Ürümqi and run west-northwest 450 kilometres (280 mi) separating Dzungaria from the Ili River basin. Their north end abuts on

2077-467: The Siberian ibex ( Capra sibirica ), whereas the rare argali ( Ovis ammon ) is found on more gentle slopes. Deer are represented by five species: Altai wapiti ( Cervus elaphus sibiricus ), moose ( Alces alces ), forest reindeer ( Rangifer tarandus valentinae ), Siberian musk deer ( Moschus moschiferus ), and Siberian roe deer ( Capreolus pygargus ). Moose and reindeer however, are restricted to

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2144-630: The Talitsk and Baschelaksk Range (Бащелакский хребет) on the other. This, too, is very fertile. The Altai, seen from this valley, presents the most romantic scenes, including the small but deep Kolyvan Lake at an altitude of 360 m (1,180 ft), which is surrounded by fantastic granite domes and towers. Farther west the valleys of the Uba , the Ulba and the Bukhtarma open south-westwards towards

2211-777: The Tarim Basin from the Fergana Valley . The Fergana Range runs northeast towards the Talas Ala-Too and separates the upper Naryn basin from Fergana proper. The southern side of these mountains merge into the Pamirs in Tajikistan ( Alay Mountains and Trans-Alay Range ). West of this is the Turkestan Range , which continues almost to Samarkand. The Tian Shan plateau, stretching 100 to 120 km wide,

2278-678: The Xiongnu word Qilian ( traditional Chinese : 祁連 ; simplified Chinese : 祁连 ; pinyin : Qílián ), which, according to Tang commentator Yan Shigu , is the Xiongnu word for "sky" or "heaven". Sima Qian , in the Records of the Grand Historian , mentioned Qilian in relation to the homeland of the Yuezhi , and the term is believed to refer to the Tian Shan rather than

2345-526: The highest point in Kyrgyzstan . The Tian Shan's second highest peak, Khan Tengri (King Heaven), straddles the Kazakhstan - Kyrgyzstan - China tripoint and at 7,010 metres (23,000 ft), is the highest point of Kazakhstan . Mountaineers class these as the two northernmost peaks surpassing 7,000 metres (23,000 ft) in the world. The Torugart Pass , at 3,752 metres (12,310 ft), marks

2412-547: The 200 kilometres (120 mi) Dzungarian Alatau which runs east northeast along Sino-Kazakh border. They start 50 kilometres (31 mi) east of Taldykorgan in Kazakhstan and end at the Dzungarian Gate . The Dzungarian Alatau in the north, the Borohoro Mountains in the middle and the Ketmen Ridge in the south make a reversed Z or S, the northeast enclosing part of Dzungaria and the southwest enclosing

2479-479: The Altai Mountains of Siberia" from "an even larger glacial lake" than Lake Missoula, which was once thought to have been "the largest ice-dammed lake in the world". Although earthquakes are generally rare occurrences, on 27 September 2003 a very large earthquake measuring M W 7.3 occurred in the Chuya Basin area to the south of the Altai region. This earthquake and its aftershocks devastated much of

2546-532: The Bukhtarma fortress (345 m (1,132 ft)), it offers the most striking contrasts of landscape and vegetation. Its upper parts abound in glaciers, the best known of which is the Berel , which descends from the Belukha . On the northern side of the range which separates the upper Bukhtarma from the upper Katun is the Katun glacier, which after two ice-falls widen out to 700–900 m (2,300–3,000 ft). From

2613-889: The Irtysh. The lower part of the first, like the lower valley of the Charysh, is thickly populated; in the valley of the Ulba is the Riddersk mine, at the foot of the Ivanovsk Peak (2,060 m (6,760 ft)), clothed with alpine meadows. The valley of the Bukhtarma, which has a length of 320 km (200 mi), also has its origin at the foot of the Belukha and the Kuitun peaks, and as it falls some 1,500 m (4,900 ft) in about 3,000 km (1,900 mi), from an alpine plateau at an elevation of 1,900 m (6,200 ft) to

2680-487: The Sailughem Mountains are extremely steep and difficult to access. On this side lies the highest summit of the range, the double-headed Belukha , whose summits reach 4,506 m (14,783 ft) and 4,400 m (14,400 ft) respectively, and give origin to several glaciers and glaciokarst formations (30 km (12 sq mi) in aggregate area, as of 1911 ). Altaians call it Kadyn Bazhy, but

2747-546: The Tian Shan Mountains. The plant then made its way to Turkey via the Silk Road and became a symbol of the Ottoman Empire . Ancestors of important crop vegetation were established and thrived in the area, among them: apricots ( Prunus armeniaca ), pears ( Pyrus spp.), pomegranates ( Punica granatum ), figs ( Ficus ), cherries ( Prunus avium ) and mulberries ( Morus ). The Tian Shan region also included important animals like bears, deer, and wild boar, which helped to spread seeds and expand ecological diversity. Among

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2814-424: The Tian Shan, spreading along the Silk Road and killing half of Europe's population in the mid 1300s. Tian Shan has an alpine climate ( Köppen climate classification ETH ). In Tengrism , Khan Tengri , is the lord of all spirits and the religion's supreme deity, and it is the name given to the second highest peak of Tian Shan. One of the earliest historical references to these mountains may be related to

2881-413: The area, including the Kurai fault zone and the recently identified Tashanta fault zone . These fault systems are typically thrusts or right lateral strike-slip faults , some of which are tectonically active. Rock types in the mountains are typically granites and metamorphic schists , and some are highly sheared near to fault zones. Geologist Victor R. Baker "has discovered past cataclysmic floods in

2948-405: The border between Kyrgyzstan and Xinjiang . The lower-altitude, forested Alatau ranges in the northern Tian Shan is home to Turkic -speaking pastoral tribes. The Tian Shan is separated from the Tibetan Plateau by the Taklimakan Desert and the Tarim Basin to the south. The Syr Darya , Ili River and Tarim River that originate in the Tian Shan. The Aksu Canyon is a prominent feature in

3015-521: The claims includes several cave petroglyphs within the Altai Mountains in modern China that depict human figures on skis that are chasing after an ibex . According to a study published by the Australian Rock Art Research Association (AURA) in 2016, this rock art was estimated to be from between 4,000 and 5,250 years ago, which consequently meant it may be just as old or possibly older than ancient skiing rock art and artefacts located in Scandinavia. However, dating petroglyphs accurately with current technology

3082-410: The constituent chains of the system are inhabited principally by nomadic Kyrgyz . The five highest mountains of the Altai are: The Altai-Sayan ecoregion is located at the intersection of the Central Asian and Siberian faunal provinces. The Altai mountains are home to a diverse fauna, because of its different habitats, like steppes, northern taigas and alpine vegetation. Steep slopes are home to

3149-459: The global average of 7%. By 2050, half of the remaining ice is projected to disappear. Russian explorer Peter Semenov was one of the first European to extensively document the Tian Shan in the 1850s. The Tian Shan have a number of named ranges which are often mentioned separately (all distances are approximate). In China the Tian Shan starts from about 600 to 400 kilometres (370 to 250 mi) east of Ürümqi , north of Kumul City (Hami) with

3216-413: The lake is the Terskey Alatau and the north side the Kyungey Ala-Too (shady and sunny Ala-Too). North of the Kyungey Ala-Too and parallel to it is the Trans-Ili Alatau in Kazakhstan just south of Almaty . West of the eye, the range continues 400 kilometres (250 mi) as the Kyrgyz Ala-Too , separating Chüy Region from Naryn Region and then Kazakhstan from the upper valley of the river Talas ,

3283-400: The lake rise almost sheer to over 1,800 m (5,900 ft). From this lake issues the Biya, which joins the Katun at Biysk , and then meanders through the prairies of the north-west of the Altai. Farther north the Altai highlands are continued in the Kuznetsk district, which has a slightly different geological aspect, but belongs to the Altai system. But the Abakan River , which rises on

3350-407: The largest waterfall in Central Asia. A distinctive feature of the Dzunguarain Alatau is a series of sharp slopes. These are divided into low mountains (700–1600 m), medium lands (1600–3100 m) and highlands (3100–4662 m). There are numerous locations of petroglyphs mainly situated in the low- and mid-hills. The highest peak of the range is Semeonov Tien-Shansky (4622 m). The area

3417-482: The last ice age than it is today. This would result in a depression of the average annual temperature of 7.2 to 8.4 °C for the Last Glacial Maximum compared with today, assuming a comparable precipitation ratio. The Tian Shan holds important forests of Schrenk's spruce ( Picea schrenkiana ) at altitudes of over 2,000 metres (6,600 ft); the lower slopes have unique natural forests of wild walnuts and apples . The Tian Shan in its immediate geological past

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3484-473: The low average temperature in the Denisova caves. Neanderthal bones and tools made by Homo sapiens have also been found in the Denisova Cave, making it the only place in the world where all three hominids are known to have lived. A dog-like canid from 33,000 years ago was found in the Razboinichya Cave . DNA analysis published in 2013 affirmed that it was more closely related to modern dogs than to wolves. The Altai Mountains have been identified as being

3551-422: The mountain foreland near Alma Ata. The glacial glaciers from the Kungey Alatau also calved into Lake Issyk Kul, with the Ak-Sai valley glacier developing a mountain foreland glacier. The Chon-Kemin valley was glaciated up to its inflow into the Chu valley. Altogether, the glacial Tian Shan glaciation occupied an area of approximately 118,000 square kilometers. The glacier snowline was about 1200m lower during

3618-475: The mountain range's northwestern section. Continuous permafrost typically forms in the Tian Shan at elevations above 3,500-3,700 meters. Discontinuous permafrost can be found as low as 2,000 meters in specific locations influenced by unique topographical and climatic conditions, though it generally occurs between 2,700-3,300 meters altitude. The Tian Shan's glaciers are rapidly receding, losing 27% or 5.4 billion tons of ice annually since 1961— nearly four times

3685-402: The northern parts also by the wolverine ( Gulo gulo ). The Tien Shan dhole ( Cuon alpinus hesperius ) (a northwestern subspecies of the Asiatic wild dog ) also lives there. Most species of the region are of Mongolian origin. The western Siberian eagle-owl can be found in the western part of the mountains. Until the 20th century, the Caspian tiger ( Panthera tigris tigris ) was found in

3752-500: The northern parts of the mountain range. The wild boar ( Sus scrofa ) is found in the lower foothills and surrounding lowlands. Until recently, the Mongolian gazelle ( Procapra gutturosa ) was found in the Russian Altai mountains, more specifically in the Chuya River steppe close to the Mongolian border. Large predators are represented by snow leopards ( Panthera uncia , syn. Uncia uncia ), wolves ( Canis lupus ), Eurasian lynx ( Lynx lynx ), and brown bears ( Ursus arctos ), in

3819-403: The placenta of the apple fruit, the womb, contains inhibitory substances that prevent the germination of the apple seed in situ. This is a commonly observed phenomenon in fruits as Michael Evenari showed in 1949. So what then does, or did, distribute the original apple seed? The bear... The strain of Y. pestis which caused the bubonic plague now know as the Black Death may have originated in

3886-426: The point of origin of a cultural enigma termed the Seima-Turbino Phenomenon which arose during the Bronze Age around the start of the 2nd millennium BC and led to a rapid and massive migration of peoples from the region into distant parts of Europe and Asia. Some historians believe that the Altai mountain region may have been the location where skiing was born, however this remains disputed. Evidence to support

3953-478: The range 1,500 kilometres (930 mi) further east now known as the Qilian Mountains . The name of the Tannu-Ola mountains in Tuva has the same meaning. The Chinese name Tian Shan is most likely a direct translation of the traditional Kyrgyz name for the mountains, Teñir Too. Altai Mountains 49°N 89°E  /  49°N 89°E  / 49; 89 The Altai Mountains ( / ɑː l ˈ t aɪ / ), also spelled Altay Mountains , are

4020-507: The same western face of the Sailughem range, are but little known, their only visitors being Kyrgyz shepherds. Those of Bashkaus , Chulyshman , and Chulcha , all three leading to the alpine lake of Teletskoye (length, 80 km (50 mi); maximum width, 5 km (3.1 mi); elevation, 520 m (1,710 ft); area, 230.8 km (89.1 sq mi); maximum depth, 310 m (1,020 ft); mean depth, 200 m (660 ft)), are inhabited by Telengit people. The shores of

4087-420: The south side of which is the 200 kilometres (120 mi) Talas Ala-Too Range ('Ala-too' is a Kyrgyz spelling of Alatau). At the east end of the Talas Alatau the Suusamyr Too range runs southeast enclosing the Suusamyr Valley or plateau. As for the area south of the Fergana Valley there is an 800 kilometres (500 mi) group of mountains that curves west-southwest from south of Issyk Kul Lake separating

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4154-433: The southern parts of the Altai mountains, where it reached Lake Zaisan and the Black Irtysh . Single individuals were also shot further north, for example close to Barnaul . Closely related to the Caspian tiger is the extant Amur tiger , which has the taxonomic name Panthera tigris altaica . The wisent was present in the Altai mountains until the Middle Ages , perhaps even until the 18th century. Today, there

4221-450: The upper Ili valley. In Kyrgyzstan the mainline of the Tian Shan continues as Narat Range from the base of the Borohoros west 570 kilometres (350 mi) to the point where China, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan meet. Here is the highest part of the range – the Central Tian Shan, with Peak Pobeda ( Kakshaal Too range) and Khan Tengri . West of this, the Tian Shan split into an 'eye', with Issyk Kul Lake in its center. The south side of

4288-470: The vegetation colonizing the Tian Shan came, likely via birds from the east, the ancestors of what we know as the "sweet" apple. The fruit probably then looked like a tiny, long-stalked, bitter apple something like Malus baccata , the Siberian crab. The pips may have been carried in a bird's crop or clotted onto feet or feathers. What natural features of the unique Tian Shan might have contributed to this rigorous selection program? Time is, as we have seen, not

4355-408: The western shoulder of the Sayan mountains, belongs to the system of the Yenisei . The Kuznetsk Ala-tau range, on the left bank of the Abakan, runs north-east into the government of Yeniseisk , while a complexus of mountains (Chukchut, Salair, Abakan) fills up the country northwards towards the Trans-Siberian Railway and westwards towards the Ob . The Ek-tagh or Mongolian Altai, which separates

4422-434: Was kept from glaciation due to the "protecting" warm influence of the Indian Ocean monsoon climate. This defined its ecological features which could sustain its distinctive ecosphere. The mountains were subjected to constant geological changes with constantly evolving drainage systems which affected the patterns of vegetation, as well as exposing fertile soil for newly emerging seedlings to thrive in. Tulips originated in

4489-501: Was then listed in 2016. The Tian Shan range is located north and west of the Taklamakan Desert and directly north of the Tarim Basin . It straddles the border regions of Kazakhstan , Kyrgyzstan , Uzbekistan and Xinjiang in Northwest China . To the south, it connects with the Pamir Mountains , while to north and east, it meets the Altai Mountains of Mongolia . The Tian Shan range extends eastwards for approximately 2,900 kilometers from Tashkent , Uzbekistan. It forms part of

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