Names 

Joseph Roney Sr. - Cave Lion. Scientists have discovered a previously unknown subspecies of the African cave lion How scientists “met” the cave lion

Spreading

In Europe, the first lions appeared about 700,000 years ago and belonged to the subspecies Panthera leo fossilis, the so-called Mosbach lion. What it is sometimes also called cave lion, may lead to confusion. As a rule, the term cave lion refers to a later subspecies Panthera leo spelaea. Mosbach lions reached a length of up to 2.4 m excluding the tail, and were half a meter larger than modern lions. They were similar in size to a liger, a hybrid of a lion and a tigress. From this large subspecies came the cave lion, which appeared about 300,000 years ago. It was distributed throughout northern Eurasia and even during the Ice Ages penetrated deep into the north. In the northeast of Eurasia, a separate subspecies has formed, the so-called East Siberian cave lion ( Panthera leo vereshchagini), which reached the American continent through the then existing land connection between Chukotka and Alaska. Spreading south, it evolved into the American lion ( Panthera leo atrox). The East Siberian cave lion became extinct at the end of the last major glaciation about 10 thousand years ago. The European cave lion probably became extinct during the same period, but it is possible that it persisted for some time on the Balkan Peninsula. Regarding the lions that existed on it until the beginning of our era, it is unknown whether they were cave lions.

Appearance

Fossil skull

The skeleton of an adult male cave lion, found in 1985 near Siegsdorf, Germany, had a height at the withers of 1.20 m and a length of 2.1 m excluding the tail. This corresponds to a very large modern lion. At the same time, the Siegsdorf lion was inferior to many of its relatives. Cave lions were on average 5-10% larger than modern lions, but did not reach the enormous size of Mosbach lions and American Lions. Stone Age cave paintings allow us to draw some conclusions about the coloring of the fur and mane of the cave lion. Particularly impressive images of lions were found in southern France in the Chauvet cave in the Ardèche department, as well as in the Vogelherdhöle cave in the Swabian Alb. Ancient drawings cave lions They are always shown without a mane, which suggests that, unlike their African or Indian relatives, they either did not have one, or it was not so impressive. Often these images show the characteristic tuft on the tail of lions. The coloring of the fur, apparently, was one color.

Lifestyle

Cave lions on the hunt

Relatives

Unlike the Mosbach lion, regarding the classification of which as Panthera leo fossilis There has always been unanimity among scientists; there has been debate for a long time about the cave lion, whether it is a lion, a tiger, or even whether it should be distinguished as separate species. In 2004, German scientists were able to unambiguously identify it using DNA analysis as a subspecies of lion. Thus, the dispute that had existed since the first description of this animal in 1810 was ended. However, the Pleistocene lions of the north formed their own group, distinct from the lions of Africa and Southeast Asia. To this so-called group Spelaea included the Mosbach lion ( P.l. fossilis), cave lion ( P.l. spelaea), East Siberian lion ( P.l. vereshchagini) and American lion ( P.l. atrox). All modern lion breeds belong to the group Leo. Both groups separated about 600 thousand years ago. Some fossil specimens of the extinct American lion were larger than the Mosbach lion and thus were the most major representatives felines that have ever existed. They were previously considered a separate species, called the giant jaguar. According to the latest research The American lion, like the cave lion, was not a separate species, but a subspecies of lions ( Panthera leo).

see also

Notes

Literature

  • A. Turner: The big cats and their fossil relatives. Columbia University Press, 1997, ISBN 0-231-10229-1
  • J Burger: Molecular phylogeny of the extinct cave lion Panthera leo spelea, 2003. Molecular phylogeny of cave lion.

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See what "Cave Lion" is in other dictionaries:

    CAVE LION- extinct carnivorous mammal cat family. Lived in the 2nd half. Pleistocene, early Holocene, in Europe and North. Asia. The size of a large lion or tiger. He lived not in caves, but on the plains and foothills... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

    CAVE LION- (Felts spelaea), extinct predatory mammal of the family. felines. Known from the Pleistocene to the beginning of modern times. era (Holocene) of Europe and North. Asia. It was larger in size than a tiger and a lion, and in its skeletal structure it had features of both of them. Lived on the plains and in... ... Biological encyclopedic dictionary

    cave lion- an extinct predatory mammal of the cat family. He lived in the 2nd half of the Pleistocene and the beginning of the Holocene, in Europe and Northern Asia. The size of a large lion or tiger. He lived not in caves, but on the plains and foothills. * * * CAVE LION CAVE LION… … encyclopedic Dictionary

    Cave lion- (Felis spelaea) is an extinct carnivorous mammal of the cat family. Lived in the second half of the Pleistocene and at the beginning of the Holocene in Europe and Northern Asia. In size it was the size of large modern lions or tigers, and in the skeletal structure, especially... ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia

Teetering on the brink of extinction due to destruction ecological systems and habitat loss. In the following paragraphs of the article, you will learn about 10 extinct species of tigers and lions that have disappeared from the face of the Earth over the past few thousand years.

Despite its name, the American cheetah had more in common with pumas and pumas than with modern cheetahs. Its slender flexible body, like the cheetah, was most likely the result of convergent evolution (the tendency of dissimilar organisms to adopt similar body shapes and behaviors when developing under similar conditions). In the case of Miracinonyx, grassy plains North America and Africa had almost identical conditions, which played a role in the appearance of outwardly similar animals. American cheetahs became extinct at the end of the last ice age, about 10,000 years ago, possibly due to human encroachment into their territory.

As with the American cheetah (see previous point), the relationship of the American lion to modern lions is much debated. According to some sources, this Pleistocene predator is more closely related to tigers and jaguars. The American lion coexisted and competed with other superpredators of the time, such as the saber-toothed tiger, the giant short-faced bear, and the dire wolf.

If the American lion was in fact a subspecies of lion, then it was the largest of its kind. Some alpha males reached weights of up to 500 kg.

As you might guess from the animal's name, the Bali tiger was native to the Indonesian island of Bali, where the last individuals became extinct only about 50 years ago. For thousands of years, the Bali tiger has been at odds with the indigenous peoples of Indonesia. However, the proximity of local tribes did not pose a serious threat to these tigers until the arrival of the first European traders and mercenaries, who ruthlessly hunted Balinese tigers for sport and sometimes to protect their animals and estates.

One of the most fearsome subspecies of lion was the Barbary lion, a prized possession of medieval British lords who wanted to intimidate their peasants. Several large individuals made their way from northern Africa to the zoo located in the Tower of London, where many British aristocrats were previously imprisoned and executed. Male Barbary lions had especially thick manes, and reached a mass of about 500 kg, which made them one of the largest lions that ever lived on Earth.

There is a high probability of a revival of the Barbary lion subspecies in wildlife by selecting his descendants, scattered throughout the world's zoos.

The Caspian lion has a shaky position in the classification big cats. Some naturalists argue that these lions should not be classified as a separate subspecies, considering the Kaispi lion to be simply a geographical offshoot of the still extant Transvaal lion. In fact, it is very difficult to distinguish a single subspecies from an isolated population. In any case, the last examples of these representatives of big cats became extinct at the end of the 19th century.

6. Turanian tiger, or Transcaucasian tiger, or Caspian tiger

Of all the big cats that have gone extinct in the last 100 years, the Turanian tiger had the largest geographic distribution, ranging from Iran to the vast, windswept steppes of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Most great damage inflicted on this subspecies Russian empire, which bordered the Caspian tiger habitat regions. Tsarist officials encouraged the destruction of Turanian tigers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

As with the Barbary lion, the Caspian tiger can be returned to the wild through selective breeding of its offspring.

Probably a cave lion, along with saber-toothed tiger, is one of the most famous extinct big cats. Oddly enough, cave lions did not live in caves. They got their name because many fossil remains of these lions were found in caves in Europe, which were visited by sick or dying individuals.

An interesting fact is that paleontologists classify the European lion as three subspecies: Panthera leo europaea, Panthera leo tartarica And Panthera leo fossilis. They are united by relatively large body sizes (some males weighed about 200 kg, females were slightly smaller) and susceptibility to encroachment and seizure of territories by representatives of early European civilization: for example, European lions often participated in gladiator fights in the arenas of ancient Rome.

Javan tiger, like him close relative The Bali tiger (see point 3) was limited to one island in the Malay Archipelago. Despite relentless hunting, the main reason for the extinction of the Javan tiger was the loss of habitat due to the rapid growth of the human population in the 19th and 20th centuries.

The last Javan tiger was seen in the wild decades ago. Given the overpopulation of the island of Java, no one feeds great hopes for the restoration of this subspecies.

10. Smilodon (saber-toothed tiger)

From a scientific point of view, Smilodon has nothing in common with modern tigers. However, given its universal popularity, the saber-toothed tiger deserves a mention in this list of extinct big cats. The saber-toothed tiger was one of the most dangerous predators of the Pleistocene era, capable of sinking its huge fangs into the neck large mammals those times.

Thousands of years ago, planet Earth was inhabited by various animals, which then various reasons died out. Nowadays these animals are often called fossils. Their remains in the form of preserved skeletal bones and skulls are found during archaeological excavations. Then scientists painstakingly collect all the bones together and try to restore them in this way. appearance animal. In this they are helped by cave paintings, and even primitive sculptures left by those who lived at the same time. Today, computer graphics have come to the aid of scientists, allowing them to recreate the image of a fossil animal. The cave lion is one of the types of ancient creatures that terrified their smaller brothers. Even primitive people tried to avoid its habitats.

Fossil predator cave lion

This is how it was discovered and described oldest species fossil predator, which scientists called the cave lion. The bone remains of this animal have been found in Asia, Europe and North America. This allows us to conclude that the cave lion lived over a vast territory, from Alaska to British Isles. The name that this species received turned out to be justified, because it was in the caves that most of its skeletal remains were found. But only wounded and dying animals went into the caves. They preferred to live and hunt in open spaces.

History of discovery

First detailed description cave lion was made by Russian zoologist and paleontologist Nikolai Kuzmich Vereshchagin. In his book, he spoke in detail about the ancestry of this animal, the geography of its distribution, habitats, feeding habits, reproduction and other details. This book, entitled “The Cave Lion and Its History in the Holarctic and within the USSR,” was written based on many years of painstaking research and is still the best scientific work to study this fossil animal. Scientists call a significant part of the northern hemisphere the haloarctic.

Description of the animal

The cave lion was a very large predator, weighing up to 350 kilograms, height at the withers 120-150 centimeters and body length up to 2.5 meters, excluding the tail. The powerful legs were relatively long, which made the predator a tall animal. His coat was smooth and short, his color was even, uniform, sandy-gray, which helped him camouflage himself while hunting. In winter, the fur cover was more luxuriant and protected from the cold. Cave lions did not have manes, as evidenced by cave paintings primitive people. But the tassel on the tail is present in many drawings. An ancient predator instilled horror and panic in our distant ancestors.

The cave lion's head was relatively large, with powerful jaws. Dental system fossil predators look the same in appearance as those of modern lions, but the teeth are still more massive. The two fangs are striking in their appearance: the length of each fang of the animal was 11-11.5 centimeters. The structure of the jaws and dental system clearly proves that the cave lion was a predator and could cope with very large animals.

Habitats and hunting

Rock paintings often depict a group of cave lions chasing one victim. This suggests that predators lived in prides and practiced collective hunting. An analysis of the remains of animal bones found in the habitats of cave lions shows that they attacked deer, elk, bison, aurochs, yaks, musk oxen and other animals that were found in this particular area. Their prey could have been young mammoths, camels, rhinoceroses, hippopotamuses, and scientists do not rule out the possibility of attacks by predators on adult mammoths, but only under favorable conditions. The lion did not specifically hunt for primitives. A person could become a victim of a predator when the beast entered a shelter where people lived. Usually only sick or old individuals climbed into the caves. A person alone could not cope with a predator, but collective defense using fire could save people or some part of them. These extinct lions were strong, but this did not save them from inevitable death.

Possible causes of extinction

The mass death and extinction of cave lions occurred at the end of a period that scientists call the Late Pleistocene. This period ended approximately 10 thousand years ago. Even before the end of the Pleistocene, mammoths and other animals that are now called fossils also became completely extinct. The reasons for the extinction of cave lions are:

  • climate change;
  • landscape transformations;
  • activities of primitive man.

Climatic and landscape changes have disrupted the usual habitat of the lions themselves and the animals they fed on. They were torn apart, which led to mass extinction herbivores, deprived of the necessary food, and after them predators began to die out.

Man as a reason mass death fossil animals for a long time was not considered at all. But many scientists pay attention to the fact that primitive people constantly developed and improved. New hunts appeared and hunting techniques improved. Man began to feed on herbivores himself and learned to resist predators. This could lead to the extermination of fossil animals, including the cave lion. Now you know which animals became extinct as human civilization developed.

Considering the destructive influence of man on nature, the version of the involvement of primitive people in the disappearance of cave lions no longer seems fantastic today.

Sometimes they ask: “Which of the large predatory animals lived in Ice Age in Europe and Northern Asia? And many people don’t believe it when you answer: “Lion.”

Found at the mouth of the river. Yana femur of one large predator became very interested in I.D. Chersky in 1891. Despite some doubts and logical incompatibilities, he concluded that in the age of the mammoth tigers lived near him in Yakutia. Since then, a lot of water has flown under the bridge, and a lot of paleontological discoveries have been collected.

In 1971, Professor N.K. Vereshchagin in the book “Materials of the anthropogenic fauna in the USSR”, based on a study of lion bones found in the territory Soviet Union, as well as paleontological materials from North America, published a large article. This work used data on exhibits - lion bones found in different time in Yakutia (they are stored at the Moscow Zoological Institute). So our story about lions will mainly be based on the materials of N.K. Vereshchagin.

Single lion bones have been discovered in more than ten places in the northern and central regions Yakutia. In 1930, M.M. Ermolaev on Bolshoi Lyakhovsky Island, and in 1963, geologist F.F. Ilyin on the Mohoho River, a tributary of the Olenka, found the skulls of lions that lived during the Ice Age. The parietal and other lion bones found at Duvanny Yar in Kolyma are in the museum of the Yaroslavl Scientific Center of the Academy of Sciences of Russia. In addition, the bones of the king of beasts, the mighty lion, were found at the mouth of the Syuryuktyakh - a tributary of the Indigirka, on the Berezovka - a tributary of the Kolyma, the Adycha - a tributary of the Yana, as well as in the basins of the river. Aldan and Vilyui. Some rare finds are available in regional museums. The lower jaw of a lion that lived more than ten thousand years ago is exhibited in the Ytyk-Kyuel Museum of the Tattinsky district.

So, according to reliable scientific data, in the Ice Age in Yakutia, along with such giants as the mammoth and rhinoceros, there lived not a tiger, as was sometimes written, but a lion. In reference books and scientific literature he is called not just a lion, but a cave lion. In fact, Ice Age lions in Yakutia did not live in caves. They must have been hunting wild horses, bulls and deer on ice-free plains and mountain foothills. The ferocious and powerful predator in question is called not only a cave lion by paleontologists, but sometimes also a tiger lion or a Pleistocene lion. However, he looked most like a lion.

This predator first appeared in central steppes Europe and Asia just before the start Quaternary period. Having multiplied greatly at the height of the Ice Age, at the very end of the Late Pleistocene, they, like mammoths, became extinct for some reason. Pleistocene lions were not the direct ancestors of the lions now found in Africa. During the late Pleistocene they spread throughout Northeast Asia and North America. As evidenced by fossil bones, very large cave lions were found in North America. Modern African lions reach a maximum length of 2.2 m, while the lions of Eurasia of the Ice Age reach 2.5-3.4 m. And the predators of North America that became extinct tens of thousands of years ago had a length of up to 2.7-4.0 m!

When in northern latitudes Eurasia and North America entered the Ice Age, these large animals Sometimes they were forced to take refuge from snowy winds and cold in mountain caves. And they began to encounter Stone Age people who lived there, who left many drawings of lions on the walls of their homes. As archaeologists and geologists write, such “portraits” of lions were found in caves in France, Spain, England, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Italy and in the USSR - near Odessa, Tiraspol, Kiev, the Urals, and the Perm region.

Sometimes sculptures of lions made of bone, stone and clay are also found. Stone Age people, fearing these formidable predators, worshiped them so as not to be torn to pieces during hunting and in fights in caves. Experts confirm that the bones of some lions, especially the interorbitals, have pathological changes and defects associated with diseases. It can be seen that they were susceptible to bone diseases, suffered from gadflies or similar tsetse flies, which infect livestock in our time.

Only two almost completely preserved cave lion skeletons are known throughout the world. One of them is considered the most valuable exhibit of the Brno Museum in Czechoslovakia. The second skeleton was found in the USA in oil that thickened like tar and then hardened. When you look at a photograph of the skeleton, the greatly elongated legs and tail of the cave lion catch your eye. Rib cage narrow, neck rather long. Judging by the skeleton, the animal had very strong forelimbs. On the lower and upper jaws there are powerful sharp fangs similar to the head of a keel.

Currently, the world's lion populations are very small. At the end of the 60s, there were 250 predators in Indian zoos, national parks African states - about 150 thousand...

Sometimes they ask about bears from the times of the mammoth and cave lion. In 1966 in Poland, during marble mining in Sudeten Mountains discovered a previously unknown mountain cave with branches of several floors. Scientists suggest that it was formed about 50 million years ago as a result of the leaching of limestones groundwater, circulating through the cracks of these water-soluble rocks. In this cave during the Ice Age they found shelter and wild animals, and the people of that time. During the exploration of the cave, about 40 thousand different bear bones were found.* Therefore, they called it “Bear Cave”. Along with the remains of so many bears were found rare bones of wolves and martens. Stone Age people lived in one of the recesses of the cave. When more than half of Europe found itself under the cover glacier, bears, wolves, and lions were apparently forced to take refuge in caves. The emaciated, disease-prone animals died in large numbers. This is how the animal cemetery came into being. However, scientists have not yet given a precise explanation for the unusual accumulation of bear bones.

“Bear Cave” is very long, with branches of hundreds of meters. They, sometimes narrowing, sometimes widening, form underground halls reminiscent of fairy-tale palaces. When you illuminate the dark halls, it’s as if you find yourself in the country of Olonkho, and a charming picture of an unknown underground kingdom opens before you. The ceiling is decorated with hanging crystal-like icicles. Below is a labyrinth sparkling with various sparks of light, graceful growths of limestone formations! In some places they converge with stepped shafts of the same color and shine, similar to streams frozen in a rapid run. Everything beautiful in nature is the property of all humanity. That is why the Bear Cave was included in the tourist route, and construction work began here in 1980.

There are no such large caves in Yakutia, but individual bones of a bear, wolf, elk and other mammoth companions are found. By the way, on the famous Berelekh cemetery at one time the corpse of a wolverine was discovered.

Many questions arise about the fact that during the Ice Age, the inhabitants of the harsh North were relatives of miniature but fleet-footed roe deer. Residents of Yakutia are well aware of these graceful animals, which move in such smooth and wide jumps, as if you see them in slow motion.

One of the species of roe deer, named Sorgelia in honor of the German geologist who was the first to find the skull of an ancient goat in the world, lived in Yakutia next to mammoths during the Ice Age. The Sorgelia skull was found in 1973 on the Adycha River (a tributary of the Yana) by local history teacher M.A. Sleptsov. This is the second such trophy after the discovery of the German geologist. As a rare exhibit, it is now kept in the Central Moscow Zoological Museum, and a plaster copy of the skull is on display in the Adychan School Museum...

When you talk about the Ice Age, the giants of that time, listeners usually ask a lot of questions. These are mostly questions related to the most recent geological history Earth, called quaternary. In just a million years, there have been significant fluctuations in the climate of the Earth's Northern Hemisphere and major changes in the animal and plant kingdoms. The world of large mammals suffered especially significant damage. In Yakutia and throughout the north of Asia and Europe, mammoths, woolly rhinoceroses, lions, wild bulls, Sorgelia. Most of the surviving animals decreased significantly in size. Modern horses, moose, polar bears, in comparison with their ancient relatives of the Ice Age, are smaller species.

Before humans became hunters and made their way to the top of the food chain, cats were the most successful and powerful predators. Even today, felines such as tigers, lions, jaguars and leopards are still admired and feared, but even they cannot outshine their extinct ancestors.

Giant cheetah

The giant cheetah belongs to the same genus as modern cheetahs. And it looked similar, but was much larger. Weighing up to 150 kg, the cheetah was as big as African lion, and could hunt big catch. Some suggest that the giant cheetah could reach speeds of up to 115 km/h! This animal lived in Europe and Asia during the Pliocene and Pleistocene. Extinct during the last ice age.

Xenosmilus


Xenosmilus is related to Smilodon (the famous saber-toothed tiger), but instead of long, blade-like fangs, it had shorter teeth. They looked more like the teeth of a shark and a carnivorous dinosaur than the teeth of a modern cat. This creature hunted from ambush and killed its prey, tearing out pieces of meat from it. Xenosmilus was quite large by today's standards - weighing up to 230 kg, and it was similar in size to an adult lion or tiger. The remains of this cat were found in Florida.

Giant Jaguar


Today, jaguars are quite small animals compared to lions and tigers, typically weighing 60-100 kg. In prehistoric times, North and South America were home to giant jaguars. These cats had much longer limbs and tails than the modern jaguar. Scientists believe that jaguars lived on open plains, but due to competition with lions and other big cats, they were forced to find more wooded areas. Giant prehistoric jaguars were the size of a lion or tiger and very strong.

European Jaguar


Unlike the giant jaguar mentioned, the European jaguar was not the same species as modern jaguars. Nobody knows what this prehistoric cat looked like. Some scientists believe that it most likely resembled modern spotted felines, or maybe a cross between a lion and a jaguar. It is obvious that this creature was dangerous predator, weighed up to 210 kg and was at the top of the food chain 1.5 million years ago. His remains were found in Germany, France, England, Spain and the Netherlands.

Cave lion


The cave lion is a subspecies of lion large sizes and weighing up to 300 kg. This is one of the most dangerous and strong predators, who lived during the last ice age in Europe. There is evidence that he was feared and possibly worshiped by prehistoric people. Many drawings and several figurines depicting a cave lion were found. It is interesting that this lion was depicted without a mane.

Homotherium


Homotherium was one of the most dangerous representatives of felines in prehistoric times, lived in Northern and South America, Europe, Asia and Africa. It adapted well to environmental conditions, including the subarctic tundra, and lived for 5 million years before its extinction 10,000 years ago. Externally, Homotherium differed from other large cats. The forelimbs were slightly longer than the hind limbs, resembling a hyena. Structure hind limbs homotheria indicates that it was a worse jumper than modern cats. Maybe homotherium wasn’t the most big predator, but some finds show that the mass of this cat reached 400 kg, which is more than the mass of a modern Siberian tiger.

Mahairod


Unlike Smilodon, which was a classic saber-toothed tiger, its short tail and body proportions were different from a real tiger. The Mahairods looked like giant tigers with saber teeth, as well as similar proportions and long tail. Whether the animal had stripes is unknown. Found in Chad, Africa, the remains of a mahairod suggest that the creature was one of the largest cats of all time. It weighed up to 500 kg and was the size of a horse. He hunted elephants, rhinoceroses and other herbivores. Machairod most likely looked like the giant tiger from the movie 10,000 BC.

American lion


After Smilodon, it is most likely the most famous prehistoric cat. It lived in the Americas during the Pleistocene and went extinct 11,000 years ago at the end of the last ice age. Most scientists argue that the American lion was a giant relative of the modern lion. His weight was 470 kg. There is debate about his hunting technique, but he most likely hunted alone.

Pleistocene tiger


This is the most mysterious animal on the list, known from fragmentary remains. This is not a separate species, but rather early version modern tiger. Tigers evolved in Asia 2 million years ago to hunt the variety of huge herbivores that lived on the continent at the time. Tigers are the most great representatives cat family. However, during the Pleistocene period there was more food, and therefore tigers were bigger too. Some remains have been found in Russia, China and the island of Java.

Smilodon


The most famous cat that had teeth that looked like a dirk or a knife with a long straight blade is Smilodon. He and his close relatives were distinguished by long, serrated fangs and short-legged, muscular bodies reminiscent of a bear. Their strong build did not allow them to run quickly over long distances, so they most likely attacked from ambush. Well, scimitar-toothed cats relied on speed, having long limbs like cheetahs, as well as shorter and more roughly jagged fangs. Smilodon went extinct 10,000 years ago, which means they lived at the same time as humans and may have hunted them.