Discoveries. According to a recent analysis of mitochondrial DNA (which is passed on only by females, thus allowing for detailed genealogical studies), the American lion diverged from an isolated family of cave lions, cut off from the rest of the population by glacial activity, about 340,000 years ago. 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 ). 6:07. How did they cope with other large predators (e.g. The most recent fossil, from Edmonton, dates to 11,355 ± 55 years ago. Why are they extinct? The Arctotherium angustidens was isolated primarily to South America during the Pleistocene epoch 2.5 million to 11,000 years ago. [7] The lineages leading to extant lions and atrox/spelaea were thought to have diverged about 1.9 million years ago,[4] before a whole genome-wide sequence of lions from Africa and Asia by Marc de Manuel et al. [citation needed] Some paleontologists accepted this view, but others considered it to be a type of lion closely related to the modern lion (Panthera leo) and its extinct relative, the Eurasian cave lion (Panthera leo spelaea or P. spelaea). African and Asiatic lions have been geographically isolated from each other for about 200,000 years. The majority of American lions’ skeletons – about 100 – were found in La Brea Tar Pits (Los Angeles). On the other hand, the American lion could have been more intelligent than the smilodon; thousands of hunting saber-toothed tigers were captured in La Brea Tar Pits, but only several tens of American lions fell into that trap. If anything, the image of Panthera atrox as a North American lion held out against the jaguar interpretation. Some later authors accepted this view, but other experts considered Panthera atrox most closely related to the African lion (Panthera leo) and its extinct Eurasian relative, the cave lion (Panthera spelaea). Cobras – characteristics and useful information, African buffalo – Cape buffalo (Syncerus caffer), The longest Ornithischians (Ornithischia) TOP 10, Triceratops – one of the best-known dinosaurs, The heaviest Ankylosaurus Top 10. The American lion (Panthera atrox), also known as the "North American lion", or "American cave lion", is an extinct pantherine cat that lived in North America during the Pleistocene epoch and the early Holocene epoch, about 340,000 to 11,000 years ago. Language: English Location: United States Restricted Mode: Off [27] However, the fossil remains found in the tar pits of Talara, Peru actually belong to an unusually large jaguar. showed that the lineage of the cave lion diverged from that of the modern lion around 392,000 – 529,000 years ago. It went extinct along with mammoths and other large mammals of the Pleistocene megafauna. Previously it was thought, the American Lion weighed more. The American lion ( Panthera leo atrox or Panthera atrox) — also known as the North American lion or American cave lion — is an extinct feline of the family Felidae, endemic to North America during the Pleistocene epoch (340,000 ya to 11,000 years ago), existing for approximately 329000 thousand years. Essentially, it was a plus-sized cat that roamed the vast expanse of Eurasia, feasting on big prey, including prehistoric horses and wooly mammoths. The American lion — also known as the North American lion or American cave lion — is an extinct feline of the family Felidae, endemic to North America during the Pleistocene epoch. It is generally considered to be an early subspecies of the lion (Panthera leo). However, what is interesting, the structure of the fossils found in Peru has been more similar to the bones of a big jaguar than a lion. Early Middle Pleistocene European Cave Lion - Panthera leo fossilis Panthera leo fossilis is a fossil cat of the genus Panthera, which was first excavated near Mauer in Germany, and lived during the Upper Pleistocene. For the Pulitzer-winning biography, see, "Untersuchungen zur Stammesgeschichte der Pantherkatzen (, Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie, "The evolutionary history of extinct and living lions", "Who's Who in the Pleistocene: A Mammalian Bestiary", "Implications of diet for the extinction of saber-toothed cats and American lions", "Revelan que el León Americano Habitó la Patagonia", "Perusing Talara: Overview of the Late Pleistocene fossils from the tar seeps of Peru", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=American_lion&oldid=998934087, Wikipedia pages semi-protected against vandalism, Articles with unsourced statements from August 2020, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Skeleton from the La Brea tar pits at the, The maximal range of cave lions - red indicates, This page was last edited on 7 January 2021, at 18:26. [16] In 2008, the American lion was estimated to weigh up to 420 kg (930 lb). [25][26] The American lion was formerly believed to have colonized northwestern South America as part of the Great American Interchange. We will try to answer these questions in this article. [31] The American lion went extinct along with most of the Pleistocene megafauna during the Quaternary extinction event. Today, however, it is believed that it was lighter. [13] American lion bones have been found in the trash heaps of Paleolithic Native Americans, suggesting that human predation contributed to its extinction.[15][26]. DNA analysis which shows that the American lion and Eurasian cave lion were almost identical,‭ ‬although the American does seem to have grown slightly larger.‭ ‬Current thinking is that Eurasian cave lions crossed over the Bering Strait into North America during the Ionian stage of Today, however, it is believed that it was lighter. [26], The remains of American lions are not as abundant as those of other predators like Smilodon fatalis or dire wolves (Canis dirus) at the La Brea Tar Pits, which suggests that they were better at evading entrapment, possibly due to greater intelligence. Smilodon populator. The American lion is an extinct animal which originated in North America and went on to colonize part of South America as part of the Great American Interchange. Cave paintings from El Ceibo in the Santa Cruz Province of Argentina seem to confirm this, and reduce the possibility of confusion with fossil jaguars, as similar cave paintings accurately depict the jaguar as yellow in color. The American lion (Panthera atrox), also known as the "North American lion", or "American cave lion", is an extinct pantherine cat that lived in North America during the Pleistocene epoch and the early Holocene epoch, about 340,000 to 11,000 years ago. Boreal forests may have contributed to the separation during warmer intervals; alternatively, a reproductive barrier may have existed. [14], The American lion is estimated to have measured 1.6 to 2.5 m (5 ft 3 in to 8 ft 2 in)[15] from the tip of the nose to the base of the tail and stood 1.2 m (3.9 ft) at the shoulder. Genetic analysis has shown that the American lion and the Late Pleistocene Eurasian cave lion (Panthera spelaea) are sister lineages. How big are the largest known Mosbach lions? American Lion - Panthera leo atrox The American lion (Panthera leo atrox or P. atrox) — also known as the North American lion, Naegele’s giant jaguar or American cave lion — is an extinct lion of the family Felidae, endemic to North America during the Pleistocene epoch (0.34 mya to 11,000 years ago), existing for approximately 0.33 million years. Reply. While it was once considered a subspecies of lion closely related to the Eurasian cave lion ( Panthera leo spelaea ), later study showed that it was not in fact a true lion and … [19], About 80 American lion individuals have been recovered from the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles, so their morphology is well known. 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. Bone fragments of P. l. fossilis were also excavated near Pakefield in the United Kingdom, which are estimated at 680,000 years old. [3] Another study grouped the American lion with P. leo and P. tigris, and ascribed morphological similarities to P. onca to convergent evolution, rather than phylogenetic affinity. It was about 25% larger than the modern lion, making it one of the largest known felids. This implies that it became genetically isolated from P. spelaea before the start of the Illinoian glaciation; a spelaea population is known to have been present in eastern Beringia by that time, where it persisted until at least 11,925 ± 70 years ago. 2. Dizzy Rose 1,919 views. [7] [3][26] Evidence for predation of bison by American lions is particularly strong as a mummified carcass nicknamed "Blue Babe" was discovered in Alaska with clear bite and claw marks from lions. The American lion coexisted with the smilodon – the saber-toothed tiger (Smilodon populator) – but it was lighter (the smilodon weighed 360-400 kg) and had a different hunting pattern than the prehistoric tiger. "Living lions have huge sexual dimorphism," said Meachen-Samuels. [3] A study in 2012 estimated a range of 235–523 kg (518–1,153 pounds) for males and 175–365 kg (386–805 pounds) for females, which suggests that the lion was heavier than Smilodon. This is quite simply, the largest bear ever discovered and by default, a contender for the largest carnivorous land mammal ever to live. Thus, it was smaller than its contemporary competitor, the giant short-faced bear, which was the largest carnivoran of North America at the time, and larger than the saber-toothed cat, Smilodon fatalis, which may have weighed up to 280 kg (620 lb). The American lion (Panthera atrox or Panthera leo atrox) – also known as the North American cave lion – is an extinct pantherine cat related to the lion that lived in North America During the Pleistocene epoch (340,000 to 11,000 years ago). One study considered the American lion, along with the cave lion, to be most closely related to the tiger (Panthera tigris), citing a comparison of the skull; the braincase, in particular, appears to be especially similar to the braincase of a tiger. [7], The study also indicates that the modern lion is the closest living relative of P. atrox and P. [10], The American lion was initially considered a distinct species of Pantherinae, and designated as Panthera atrox /ˈpænθərə ˈætrɒks/, which means "cruel" or "fearsome panther" in Latin. [2][3][4] This article is about the feline. The Sabertooth King (Cave Bear vs Cave Lion) ... American Lion vs Polar Bear 2020 - Duration: 6:07. It was later assigned as a subspecies of P. leo (P. leo atrox) rather than as a separate species. They probably used caves for shelter from the cold weather in those areas,[26][note 1] and might have lined their dens with grass or leaves, as the modern Siberian tiger does. The American lion, on the other hand, was considerably bigger than its African equivalent. [8], The American lion was designated by American paleontologist Joseph Leidy as Felis atrox in 1853. Kaplan, You clearly know very little about American lions and the extant Panthera leo.Recent genetic studies show that American lions were likely not true lions, but still belonged to the genus Panthera. [24] It was generally not found in the same areas as the jaguar, which favored forests over open habitats. Genetic analysis has revealed that it was the sister lineage to the Eurasian cave lion. The largest and most powerful eagle in the world lives only in South America Why did they go extinct? [7] The most recent common ancestor of the P. atrox lineage is estimated to have lived about 200,000 (118,000 to 346,000) years ago. Facts about Cave Lions 9: the hunted animals. [7] This separation was maintained during the interstadials of the Illinoian and following Wisconsin glaciations as well as during the Sangamonian interglacial between them. This extinct and great cat lived in North America and north-western regions of South America in the Pleistocene from 1.8m to 11,000 years ago. Theropods Top 10, The longest Stegosaurians (Stegosauria) TOP 10. [13], However, mitochondrial DNA sequence data from fossil remains suggests that the American lion (P. atrox) represents a sister lineage to the Eurasian cave lion (P. spelaea), and likely arose when an early cave lion population became isolated south of the North American continental ice sheet about 340,000 years ago. A replica of the jaw of the first American lion specimen to be discovered can be seen in the hand of a statue of famous paleontologist Joseph Leidy, currently standing outside the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. Based on the largely intact nature of the carcass, it probably froze before the lions could devour it. [12] A more recent study comparing the skull and jaw of the American lion with other pantherines concluded that it was not a lion but a distinct species. American lions were likely to have hunted on deer, equidae, and camelids of the species Camelophs hesternus, so-called Californian tapirs (Tapirus californicus), bisons, mammoths, and other big herbivores. [11] Another study suggested that the American lion and the Eurasian cave lion were successive offshoots of a lineage leading to a leopard-extant lion clade. The American lion and the cave lion of Europe were the largest cats that ever lived, being up to a third larger than a modern lion. Cave lion and American lion – interesting facts My name is .... James ...."*, © Copyright DinoAnimals 2012 - 2021, All Rights Reserved. The end of the last glaciation and the fact that humans increasingly hunted for the possible prey of the lions contributed to the extinction of, among others, the short-faced bear, dire wolf, and American lion. Its fossils have been excavated from Alaska to Mexico. It's almost 50/50, but Smilodon … [3] Most recently, both spelaea and atrox have been treated as full species. Boris Sorkin in “A biomechanical constraint on body mass in terrestrial mammalian predators” (2008) estimated its weight at 420 kg (930 lb). In the previous article, we have presented American lions’ cousins from Europe and Asia – Eurasian cave lions. It has been shown by genetic analysis to be a sister lineage to the Eurasian cave lion (Panthera leo spelaea or … Extinction of dinosaurs. The largest lions in history – American lions – ruled in North and South America, and thus became the hallmark of the Pleistocene landscape. A few paleontologists even went so far as to assign the extinct American cat to Panthera leo rather than to a separate species. Even the American Lion, a deadly and feared predator of the Ice Age, feel prey to the all consuming death trap that was the Ice Age tar pit. This makes them larger and correspondingly stronger than a Siberian tiger. Thus, it was the largest known species/subspecies of the lion in the history of Earth. [5][6] Genetic analysis has shown that the American lion and the Late Pleistocene Eurasian cave lion (Panthera spelaea) are sister lineages. [23], The American lion inhabited savannas and grasslands like the modern lion. Like its close relative in oblivion, the Bali tiger, the Javan Tiger (Panthera tigris … It is believed, that the American lion was an endemic species of North America, and it got to the southern continent through a land passage that connected two Americas. [8] American lions likely preyed on deer, horses, camels, tapirs, American bison, mammoths, and other large ungulates (hoofed mammals). [28][29][30] On the other hand, fossils of a large felid from late Pleistocene localities in southern Chile and Argentina traditionally identified as an extinct subspecies of jaguar, Panthera onca mesembrina, have been reported to be remains of the American lion. However, if its measurements were real, it is possible that this animal belonged to the jaguar or the tiger species. This bear was so massive that scientists believe it regularly weighed between 2,000 and 4,000 pounds, although newer estimates have brought down the upper end of that scale … Although it's not yet definitively clear whether the late Pleistocene Panthera spelaea, the famous Ice Age Cave lion was derived from P. fossilis or not, it is nonetheless suggested by the fossil record that, at the end of the Middle Pleistocene, morphologically distinctive Panthera spelaea type could have evolved from one local montane population of P. fossilis in the Alps area. Eurasian Cave Lion (Coalition of 2) - Panthera leo spelaea Panthera leo spelaea or P. spelaea, commonly known as the European or Eurasian cave lion, is an extinct subspecies of lion known from fossils and many examples of prehistoric art.This subspecies was one of the largest lions. 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