Only its North American cousin, the extinct American lion (Panthera atrox), was bigger.Scientists believe the Eurasian cave lion was as much as 10% larger than the modern lion (Panthera leo).It was often depicted in cave … [6], In 2015, two frozen cave lion cubs, estimated to be between 25,000 and 55,000 years old, were discovered close to the Uyandina River in Yakutia, Siberia in permafrost. Comparison with hair of a modern lion revealed that cave lion hair was probably similar in colour as that of the modern lion, though slightly lighter. Panthera gombaszoegensis, also known as the European jaguar, is a Panthera species that lived from about 2.0 to 0.35 million years ago in Europe. In addition, the cave lion is thought to have had a very thick and dense undercoat comprising closed and compressed yellowish-to-white wavy downy hair with a smaller mass of darker-coloured guard hairs, possibly an adaptation to the Ice Age climate. [4], Analysis of skulls and mandibles of a lion that inhabited Yakutia (Russia), Alaska (USA), and the Yukon Territory (Canada) during the Pleistocene epoch suggested that it was a new subspecies different from the other prehistoric lions, Panthera leo vereshchagini, known as the East Siberian- or Beringian cave lion[5] It differed from Panthera leo spelaea by its larger size and from the American lion (Panthera leo atrox) by its smaller size and by skull proportions. In addition, the cave lion is thought to have had a very thick and dense undercoat comprising closed and compressed yellowish-to-white wavy downy hair with a smaller mass of darker-coloured guard hairs, possibly an adaptation to the Ice Age climate. Researchers believe that the cubs were trapped and killed by a landslide, and that the absence of oxygen underground hindered their decomposition and allowed the cubs to be preserved in such good condition. There is a world somewhere between reality and fiction. Panthera is a genus within the family Felidae that was named and described by Lorenz Oken in 1816 who placed all the spotted cats in this group.
[17], Lion-like pantherine felids first appeared in the Tanzanian Olduvai Gorge about 1.7 to 1.2 million years ago. These cats dispersed to Europe from East Africa in the first half of the Middle Pleistocene, gving rise to P. fossilis in Central Europe by 610,000 years ago. It had a cold, dry climate; the vegetation was dominated by palatable high-productivity grasses, herbs and willow shrubs, and the animal biomass was dominated by bison, horses, and woolly mammoth. It is likely that its extinction occurred directly or indirectly in response to the climatic warming that occurred ca. The heaviest Panthera spelaea was estimated to weigh 339 kg (747 lb). Unless we could find the older fossil record of Panthera spelaea. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. [13][14] Results of phylogenetic studies also support this assessment. [4] [41] Large amounts of bones belonging to P. spelaea were excavated in caves, where bones of cave hyena, cave bear and Paleolithic artefacts were also found.
Therefore, this cat may have been around 8%-10% bigger than modern lions and smaller than the earlier cave lion subspecies Panthera leo fossilis or the relatively larger American lion (Panthera leo atrox). It was about 25% larger than the modern lion, making it one of the largest known felids. Previously the youngest date for the cubs was 12,000, the time when the cave lions become extinct.'.
The forum offers a glimpse into an unknown world as well as a room with a view on the present and the future. Welcome to WILDFACT forum, a website that focuses on sharing the joy that wildlife has on offer. On the IUCN Red List, it is listed under its former scientific name Panthera leo persica as Endangered because of its small population size and area of occupancy. Therefore, the cave lion ranged from Europe to Alaska over the Bering land bridge until the late Pleistocene. Recent nuclear genomic evidence suggest that interbreeding between modern lions and all Eurasian fossil lions took place up until 500,000 years ago, but by 470,000 years ago, no subsequent interbreeding between the two lineages occurred. We use cookies to help provide and enhance our service and tailor content and ads. 'The finds are really unique and any reckless action by us can damage them. The tiger, snow leopard, and clouded leopard genetic lineages dispersed in Southeast Asia during the Miocene.
It's interesting to note that P. shawi is from South Africa, thousands of miles away from where the cave lion stem group would have migrated from.
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