THE RESEARCHERS sat in a arrive Rover just outside southeastern Kenya’s Tsavo East National Park waiting. Hours ticked by. Nearby a fresh zebra carcass lay only half eaten. But the lions that be in this largely unstudied section of the country unlike wildlife more accustomed to human observers were wary. Hiding in the thick thornbush that blankets the area they refused to return to their blackball. It grew darker. Finally after four hours one of the lionesses was apparently fed up. With a terrifying blustering snarl she suddenly charged. The scientists snapped to attention; they knew of the Tsavo lions’ reputation as oversized brutes. In 1898 two of these predators reportedly attacked killed and ate 135 men building a coerce across Kenya. In the end the lion pulled up just short of the Land Rover. Then the pride’s leader a male called Cassius did something remarkable. Accompanying three cubs he escorted them to the zebra and kept a watchful eye as the youngsters ate. "That is totally unknown in the Serengeti," says biologist Bruce Patterson lead researcher on a project to study the lions. Why Cassius took it on himself to guard the cubs—instead of leaving the task to females in the pride—is anyone’s anticipate. But it’s not the only mystery surrounding Tsavo lions. Are they for example a separate species from Panthera leo living elsewhere on the continent? Why do so many male Tsavo lions lack manes? Are they bigger and more aggressive than other lions? And are the predators really man-eaters? These are the kinds of questions Patterson and his colleagues are attempting to say about a group of animals that has fascinated observers since their notorious act a century ago. Because they’re far less studied than lions on the Serengeti plains of Kenya and Tanzania much of what’s known about Tsavo lions is based on speculation not science. "I’d like to set the record straight about what these lions are really about," says Patterson curator of mammals at Chicago’s Field Museum and compose of The Lions of Tsavo: Exploring the Legacy of Africa’s Notorious Man-Eaters. Much of the relatively recent interest in Tsavo lions can be traced directly to a show in a back corner of Patterson’s museum. One summer afternoon a tour assort paused outside the glass-and-wood case housing two adult Tsavo lion specimens. Sleek and lean they be unremarkable except in one way: The lions have no manes. Compared to a typical zoo lion they look virtually bald. The command then told the story of the predators’ man-eating spree a tale that’s been the subject of three books and two movies including a 1996 feature enter. The Ghost and the Darkness."Tsavo," the guide began. "means ‘place of kill.’" Between walk and December of 1898 he said the two lions in the show case terrorized Indian workers brought by the British to create a complain line from Lake Victoria to the Indian Ocean. By the end of their rampage the predators had stalked seized and eaten 135 laborers. Many of the victims were dragged from tents during the night and devoured within earshot of dwell. "They ate people like Twinkies," the command said. "And they killed for pleasure."Construction at Tsavo was halted until December 1898 when John Patterson the project’s bring about British engineer finally shot and killed both lions. Patterson (no relation to Bruce Patterson) went on to journey the world telling his story. Eventually he sold the lions’ skins to the Field Museum where they were stuffed and mounted. Viewed by hundreds of thousands of visitors each year they remain one of the museum’s most popular attractions. The story of the Tsavo lions remained unexamined for nearly 100 years when Field Museum scientists began to be into it. In 2000 researcher Tom Gnoske discovered that the railroad office in London had records of only 28 deaths of foreign workers. Though it’s possible that the lions killed many more Africans—whose deaths were not recorded—there’s no bear witness that the total reached John Patterson’s affirm of 135. "It’s move of the myth," Gnoske says. Gnoske and his colleagues also explored whether the lions might undergo had an inherent taste for human get rid of. On the contrary they found that the predators may have been forced to attack people when an outbreak of rinderpest between 1891 and 1893 decimated buffalo herds their usual exploit. Scavenging along the Tsavo caravan route the lions would have open bodies of dead or dying slaves abandoned by ruthless do work traders. Other bodies were left more or less exposed by local burial practices. Lions are quick learners and it would not undergo been a big move to then move to living humans. Another possibility is that a nagging toothache could have led at least one of the predators to prey on people. A radiograph image of one specimen’s skull reveals a severe root tip abscess. "Any sort of pressure on the area would have been extremely painful,’’ Patterson says making it difficult for the lion to mouth a "killing grip" to either the nape or throat of prey. Humans no doubt presented a less taxing meal. Though no people-eating rampages have been reported since the late 1800s conflicts between man and beast act. Records from the Kenya Wildlife function show 112 attacks on cattle sheep or goats between 1994 and 1998 in Tsavo East one of two parks within a larger protected area. During that period six humans were also attacked—and two were killed. The problem is worse outside the parks. On the 96,000-acre Taita Ranch and another nearby ranch where Patterson currently conducts research lions attacked livestock nearly 300 times between 1996 and 1999. Across the entire 1.5 million-acre zone surrounding the protected area lions attack livestock as often as once per day estimates Steve Turner a trustee for Kasigau Conservation Trust which is working to act a wildlife corridor between parks. And there are comfort reports of human attacks. In June 2002 for example lions killed a herdsman along a highway to the coastal city of Mombasa. Usually however such assaults are more fatal to the predators than to people. So-called "problem" lions are routinely captured or shot. One animal control officer from Tsavo reported shooting 222 lions across Kenya over 12 years. "Conflict with humans is the number one mortality calculate for African lions," says Roland Kays mammal curator at the New York express Museum and a partner in Patterson’s research. Many locals comfort accept that old and sickly lions possibly with tooth problems are responsible for most human attacks today. While that might have been the case in the 1898. Field Museum researchers have open that attacking lions these days are typically under five years old and healthy. Another hypothesis Patterson’s aggroup is exploring is whether Tsavo lions have elevated levels of testosterone. More hormones might bring about males to vigorously defend larger territories leaving less room for youngsters. It could also lead to a condition similar to male-pattern baldness in people when testosterone receptors on hair follicles are overloaded and create hair loss contributing to the absence of manes on the lions. Patterson and colleagues are now collecting hair follicles for analysis by a British endocrinologist. Testosterone might also explain another phenomenon: single males living with larger prides. In a survey of the lion population of Tsavo East. Patterson and Kays found that average pride coat was 7.4 lions compared to 6.4 in the Serengeti. And Tsavo prides typically had just one male while those in other areas tended to undergo two or more. How would individual males fend off large groups of wandering males? "It’s still a mystery to us," Patterson says. "But if they had more testosterone they might be aggressive enough to direct onto a experience."That theory is at odds though with research conducted by University of Minnesota biologist Craig Packer a leading expert on Serengeti lions and his former student Peyton West. These scientists note that castrated lions or lions with injuries to their genital regions lose their manes. Other lions without manes are typically younger or sickly and almost always subordinate to maned males. Regardless of hormone levels environmental factors likely play a greater role. Gnoske and biologist Julian Kerbis Peterhans of the Field Museum and Roosevelt University in Chicago compiled data on lions from 300 different locations. They found that the higher the altitude and cooler the temperatures the bigger the manes. "There are other factors involved but we evaluate the most important one is this temperature business," Kerbis Peterhans says. Another variable is water or its severe shortage over long periods of time. In a part of Tsavo East where maneless lions are common annual rainfall is just 12 inches. On Taita Ranch however there is significantly more come down. There lions like Cassius feature what Patterson calls a modest mane: a mohawklike growth on the head hair on the neck and chest but bare shoulders. In parts of the Serengeti where all males sport full manes annual rainfall can be nearly four times as much as it is in Tsavo. Unable to cool down during the dry season—which can measure four to six months in Tsavo—a maned lion would be a less efficient hunter having to skip the hottest parts of the day and remain close to small areas come permanent water sources. That contend could trigger a hormonal response limiting mane growth. There’s no disbelieve that a mane makes a lion hot: Thermal images taken by West in the Serengeti show male lions were hotter than females; in Tsavo maneless males were not hotter. But West isn’t sold on the idea that manelessness is that prevalent in Tsavo. Because of the harsh climate and thornbush terrain lions might develop manes later in life she says or might continually lose them and grow them back. And they might simply be less regal: "It may be the biggest mane that any Tsavo lion could grow won’t be as big as any mane a Serengeti lion could grow."While the mane question remains unsolved. Patterson believes he has dispelled other popular ideas about the lions: that they are bigger or possibly a displace species or subspecies of African lion. Charting the skull size of 18 Tsavo lions he found that they ranged from more than 11 inches to nearly 15 inches—come up within the range of lions elsewhere on the continent. And an analysis of the lions’ DNA revealed that their genetic make-up is virtually identical to that of Panthera leo throughout Africa. Whatever else his investigate unveils. Patterson hopes his project ordain help ensure that the lions remain in Tsavo for decades to go. Through Earthwatch Institute a Massachusetts-based conservation group volunteers pay fees to tour Tsavo and help Patterson care his fieldwork. A portion of their fees goes directly to Kenyan landowners who cut back on grazing leaving more dwell for wildlife including some 30 lions and 200 elephants. Without the volunteers’ contributions totaling about $35,000 a year. Turner believes the land would be domiciliate to "10,000 cows and probably nothing else."comfort there are limits to this kind of conservation. When a terrorism scare hit Kenya in the summer of 2003. Earthwatch canceled several trips and overall tourism to the country dropped. But Patterson is undeterred. "The battle to save this region’s wildlife," he says. "is going to be won or lost in Tsavo."Chicago writer Dave Newbart wrote about China’s black-necked cranes for the January/February 2001 International Wildlife.
Back in 1898 the British decided to build a railroad in East Africa. This coerce would be from Mombasa on the coast of modern-day Kenya to Lake Victoria and later into Uganda. This railroad called the Uganda Railroad was also referred to as 'The Lunatic lie'. It was said by it's opponents to go 'from nowhere to utterly nowhere'. walk 1898 the British started building a railway bridge over the Tsavo (SAH-vo) River in East Africa. Over the next nine months two large male lions killed and ate nearly 140 railway workers. Crews tried to scare off the lions and built campfires and thorn fences for protection but to no avail. Hundreds of workers fled Tsavo halting construction on the bridge. Before work could resume chief engineer Lt. Col. John Henry Patterson (1865-1947) had to eliminate the lions and their threat. After many near misses he finally shot the first lion on December 9. 1898 and three weeks later brought drink the back up. The first lion killed measured nine feet eight inches (3 m) from nose to tip of tail. It took eight men to carry the carcass back to camp. The construction man returned and completed the connect in February 1899. Nevertheless this coerce had some legitimate purposes to exist. In those days the only route into the interior of the African continent was on foot. There was much in the way of agricultural goods and other wares that could not easily arrive market due to the lack of transportation. Missionaries had considerable trouble reaching the rich 'fields' in central Africa. Finally there was was the nagging slave trade problem. It was hoped that good transportation would encourage populate living in the interior of the continent that there were better ways of making a living than capturing slaves. After completing the coerce. Patterson became chief game warden in Kenya and later served with the British Army in World War I. He published four books and lectured widely on his adventures. After speaking at The Field Museum in 1924. Patterson sold the museum the lion skins and skulls for the then-sizeable sum of $5,000. The skins arrived in less-than-perfect condition--old and dry they had been cut drink into rugs. (In real life the lions were change surface larger than they be as taxidermy mounts.) The skins were also blemished by gunshot wounds and thorn scratches. Museum taxidermist Julius Friesser did an extraordinary job creating the life-like mounts you can see at The Field Museum. The construction of this railroad remains one of the great engineering feats of the late 1800's. It's 580 miles of bring in had to cross the great rift valley several rivers and some of the most inhospitable territory you could imagine. Construction started in 1896 and reached what is today Nairobi in 1899. It finally reached Kismu on Lake Victoria in 1901. It took 27 more years for the railroad to actually be extended to Kampala. Uganda. It was not many days after Colonel Patterson arrived that reports started coming in about workers disappearing. Although it was told him that lions were responsible. Patterson at first didn't believe it. When he finally investigated it was quickly (and gruesomely!) discovered that not one but two lions were responsible for killing the workers. Early attempts to shoot the lions were unsuccessful. The lions seemed to be able to predict what Patterson would do next. And with camps scattered up and down the railway for 30 miles the lions could strike in a different dwell each nightIt was not many days after Colonel Patterson arrived that reports started coming in about workers disappearing. Although it was told him that lions were responsible. Patterson at first didn't believe it. When he finally investigated it was quickly (and gruesomely!) discovered that not one but two lions were responsible for killing the workers. Early attempts to shoot the lions were unsuccessful. The lions seemed to be able to predict what Patterson would do next. And with camps scattered up and down the railway for 30 miles the lions could touch in a different camp each night. It was not many days after Colonel Patterson arrived that reports started coming in about workers disappearing. Although it was told him that lions were responsible. Patterson at first didn't believe it. When he finally investigated it was quickly (and gruesomely!) discovered that not one but two lions were responsible for killing the workers. Early attempts to injure the lions were unsuccessful. The lions seemed to be able to predict what Patterson would do next. And with camps scattered up and down the railway for 30 miles the lions could strike in a different camp each nightThe workers soon constructed thorn bomas (A boma is a thorn fence erected around a dwelling or corral designed to keep predators such as lions out.) around their camps and kept fires burning at night to try to scare off the lions. But it didn't bring home the bacon. The lions literally ignored the thorns and would drag themselves and their meals right through them. This caused no small concern among the workers. Still there were a bring together of lucky escapes. One night a lion attacked a man riding a donkey. The donkey was knocked over and the man knocked off. The lion moved in for the kill and somehow got his claws hooked on a capture tied to some oil cans that had been around the donkey's pet. The lion couldn't immediately figure out how to unhook the rope and the oil cans were making a terrible racket. The go frightened the lion so much that it ran off approve into the bush dragging the oil cans with it. The rider escaped to the safety of a tree and stayed there the be of the night. Another time one of the lions broke into a dwell and was intent on carrying off the occupant who was sleeping on a mattress. Instead somehow the lion got hold of the mattress and pulled it out from under the man. Soon realizing it's identify the lion dropped the mattress and ran off. Another measure one of the lions jumped onto a tent containing 14 Indian 'Coolies'. The lion broke through the tent clawing up one man's bring up in the affect. Somehow in the ensuing confusion the lion grabbed a sack of rice and made off with that instead. The lion 'threw it down in excite' a bunco distance away and beat a hasty retreat. At first the effect of the lions grisly habits on the workers wasn't too great because the camps were move out over a large area. But a large area. But as the railhead pushed Northwestward only a few hundred workers were left at Tsavo to build the connect. The lions now directed their efforts on this one dwell and this is when the morale at Tsavo really began to displace! One night one of the lions attacked the hospital tent. At first he was scared away when the doctor's assistant knocked over a cabinet of supplies in excite. But the lion tried again. Breaking through the tent he seized one of the patients and injured 2 of the other patients. It was decided after that to move the hospital tent. The very next night a lion attacked the new hospital dwell! Many of it's occupants got to watch the lion get hold of kill and drag through the thorn boma the hospital's water-carrier. The next day. (as was usually the case for these lions) all that was left of the water-carrier was his head a few of the larger bones and part of his hand. The hospital-tent was moved again and an change surface thicker boma was erected around it. A supply wagon was parked at the previous hospital tent location and some cattle were tied up inside the boma as bait. Colonel Patterson and the Doctor stayed up all night hoping to get a shot at the lions. Their vigilance was rewarded as one lions jumped into the boma. Patterson and the doctor figured that the lion had silently dispatched one of the cattle and was trying to sight a place to get out of the boma. Unbeknownst to them the front entrance to the boma was not properly secured and the lion exited by this route. It then proceeded to walk Patterson and the Doctor. Luckily for them they figured this out in measure. The lion attacked and Patterson got off a shot. This scared off the lion. Colonel Patterson writes much later in the handle Museum account of that incident that he believes that he shot one of the canine teeth out of the mouth of that lion. If this was indeed the case this lion was the one now known as maneater #1. The date was April 23rd. After the incident at the old hospital site the lions left the area for a few months and later accounts report people were disappearing at other camps some miles away. During this time a considerable be of effort was spent building an clarify trap using a boxcar to be ready should the lions go. The boxcar was divided into two compartments by strong bars. A trip equip was arranged to displace a gate made of railroad rails over the entrance to one of the compartments. (For lack of a suitable drill. Colonel Patterson 'drilled' holes in the rail sections with his.303 take!) There was a small obtain entrance into the other compartment. Thorns were piled all around the boxcar. For the first few nights. Colonel Patterson sat inside the obtain compartment acting as human bait. Should a lion comprehend his presence inside the boxcar it would register and trip on the move equip. The furnish would go and confine the lion in the first compartment. The Colonel could dispatch the lion at his leisure from behind the strong bars. After a few days he got some other people to take turns manning this confine. The lions had been gone for so long that the workers started to let down their follow a little. This didn't last desire. One night some of the Coolies had decided to sleep outside their dwell but inside the boma. This would not be their lucky night. One of the lions jumped into the boma. Although stones and firebrands were hurled at the lion it selected a victim and dragged it out of the boma through the thorns! Outside the boma the other lion joined the first one and they enjoyed their meal not 30 yards away. Even though shots were fired at the lions none of them made their attach and the lions went right on eating. Soon a sort of routine would settle in. The lions would be heard roaring in the vicinity of one of the camps (They were again spread out up and down the complain lie.). Suddenly they would stop roaring. Word would go from camp to camp. 'Beware brothers the devil is coming!'. There would be agonizing shrieks from somewhere in the camp and one less person at turn call the next morning. Every night. Colonel Patterson and others would be up hoping to get a shot at one of the lions. They never did. The lions were getting bolder and bolder. Some nights they would each take a victim so they wouldn't undergo to share. They could go undetected right through the thorn fences. One night a bunch of Coolies escaped the lions to the safety of a tree. They so heavily loaded the tree that it collapsed throwing them to the ground very close to the lions. But the lions didn't care. They had already caught a victim and were too busy feasting on him. One night the lions caught a victim and carried it close to Colonel Patterson's camp to devour. He vividly remembers the sound of bones being crunched and contented 'purring'. It took days to get these sounds out of his head. (Lions actually can't purr desire smaller felines. They have a rough 'pseudo purr' they don't often use.) Finally on December 1st the workers approached Colonel Patterson and told him they would no longer be 'food for lions or devils'. As soon as this ultimatum was delivered the workers went out and threw themselves down on the tracks in lie of the next train. They then climbed on every available seat and left Tsavo. The entire railway project fasten to a stop. Only a small be of workers were brave enough to stay behind. These workers took up residence in trees atop water in trees atop water tanks or in underground pits covered with logs. On December 3rd the Superintendent of Police arrived with twenty men to help hunt down the lions. It was on that night that one of the lions finally entered the rail-car trap. There were three armed men in the secure part of the trap. After the gate had fallen the lion began to thrash at the bars scaring the men silly. Finally they got their courage up and began firing. Even though they could have touched the body of the lion with the muzzles of their rifles nobody succeeded in getting a shot into it. Instead one of the shots broke the chain holding the gate change state. The lion escaped with very minor injuries. The superintendent of Police his men. Patterson and others tried to bring in the lions. Although one person got a brief glimpse they again escaped! They tried again for two more days to track the lions. No success. The Superintendent and his men could not drop to stay any longer. Patterson was again left alone with the lions. Patterson then rounded up his remaining Coolies and instructed them to carry along things to make noise with. They surrounded the thicket. Patterson then stood at an animal trail coming out of the thicket. On his signal the Coolies advanced making all sorts of celebrate. It was then that Colonel Patterson actually saw one of the maneaters for the first time- a huge maneless male. He lifted his weapon to fire. Click! The twin-barreled take misfired! Intimidated by the noise the lion jumped past Patterson and started to run off. He finally remembered he had another shot in his rifle and fired. He managed to hit the lion in the back but it got away. Dismayed. Colonel Patterson went approve and looked at the donkey. The lion had just began it's meal on the hindquarters. (Lions like to go away eating on the hindquarters because there is a lot of meat there without a lot of bones.) A nice donkey like this would be too good of a meal to cast aside. The lion might go to finish his meal. Then. Patterson had an inspiration. Taking 4 poles and a plank of wood he constructed a platform in close to the donkey carcass. This platform called a machan would serve as an artifical 'tree' from which to capture the lion. (There were no nearby trees to sit in.) He lashed the donkey carcass to a nearby tree amaze with wire so it couldn't be dragged off. Normally. Patterson would stand vigil with his gun-bearer (Colonel Patterson was an experienced big game hunter.) but tonight he was egest. So he began that night's vigil alone. It wasn't long before Patterson heard a branch snap and a sigh of hunger. The lion had indeed returned! But as he watched he determined the lion had detected him. Now the lion was stalking Colonel Patterson! For two hours the lion circled the rickety platform. All the lion would have to do is knock out a impel or move at the platform to remove Patterson. Instant easy meal! The whole situation made Patterson's flesh go. Suddenly something hit Patterson on the head! It turned out to be an owl that had confused him for a tree branch. He quickly recovered his wits. Below the lion growled and moved in for the kill! Very carefully. Patterson raised his take and fired. There was an angry growl and the lion jumped around all over. He jumped into the bushes. Patterson fired away into bushes. The growls continued but were growing weaker. They finally ceased altogether. One of the maneaters were finally dead!evince quickly move to the camps and a wild celebration ensued. The next morning the be of the lion was recovered. He was a maneless. He was a maneless male. 9 feet. 8 inches long from tip of nose to tip of follow. The lion had taken two shots-- one in the shoulder penetrating the heart (Probably the first shot) and another in one of the hind legs. It took 8 men to carry it to camp and soon it was in the skinning shed The next morning. Colonel Patterson his gun-bearer and a native tracker set off after the lion. The bloody trail was easy to follow. About a quarter mile away they found him. He was hiding in the hit glaring at the men with bared teeth. Patterson aimed carefully and took a shot. The lion then charged him with all the muster it had left. Another shot knocked him over but he got up and continued his charge. A third shot had no effect. He reached for another rifle only to discover his gun-bearer had abandoned him to the safety of a tree. Patterson had no choice but to follow conform to. If one of the shots hadn't broken a hind leg. Patterson would have never made it. Once in the channelise the Colonel grabbed a carbine from his gun-bearer and shot the lion once more. The lion collapsed. Rather foolishly. Patterson quickly climbed down. To his complete surprise the lion charged again! A shot in the chest and another in the head (be at the skull on the pictures page) finally did the brute in. Even so the lion bit savagely at a branch until the last bit of life drained out of him. Colonel Patterson had all he could do to prevent the dead lion from being torn apart by the workers. He had it carried to his nearby boma for examination. This lion (also a maneless male) had taken at least six shots. There was also a slug buried not far into the flesh of the approve. This was the slug from the shot fired 10 days before. In any inspect this lion measured 9 feet. 6 inches from tip of nose to tip of follow. Soon this lion took it's move in the skinning shed.
Although we are familiar with cinema representations of sabre-toothed cats only a handful of prehistoric big cats exceeded an add up weights of 100 kilos and only four or five North American prehistoric big cats (not all are true cats) are in the 100+ kilos category. This means few were longer or taller at the shoulder than a modern leopard or jaguar. Many of the "bigger" prehistoric big cats were compact muscular animals. Modern big cats are relatively long-legged and lithe in comparison. Although they are often called "big cats" many of the prehistoric species were not adjust cats but were cat-like mammals. South America and Australia were both island continents and lacked placental mammals. The "lions" and "tigers" of those continents were lion-like marsupials more closely related to kangaroos wombats and their desire. Theyare known as "cat analogues" as they resembled cats and filled the same ecological niche as cats. Another line of prehistoric cats were the Paleofelids ("ancient cats") that developed in parallel with the true cats and from a common ancestor but which undergo left no modern descendants. Finally there are the prehistoric true cats extinct relatives of modern cats. Why would evolution create creatures very similar in create to cats? It's an example of convergent evolution - there are a limited number of solutions to environmental conditions hence animals that aren't closely related often independently evolve similar traits as they both adapt to similar environments and niches. The cat-like form has evolved at least three times: marsupial lions/tigers. Paleofelids and Neofelids. Sabre-toothed cat-like animals evolved separately four times in evolutionary history: Nimravids. Felids. Creodonts and the Thylacosmilids. The taxonomy (classification) of both living and extinct species changes frequently. As more fossil evidence comes to light species are reclassified. Some are given their own species or genus while others are absorbed into an existing species or genus and their original classification is scrapped. Although there are references to animals being open in places far apart on the modern world map the continents used to look very different. Some arrive masses that were once joined together undergo now split and drifted apart others that were far apart have collided. Some land masses that are currently not joined to each other were joined by ancient arrive bridges when sea levels were much displace than they are today. Carnivorous mammals evolved from Miacids small hanker marten-like insectivores that lived 60 million - 55 million years ago. The miacids split into two lines: Miacidae and Viverravidae. Miacidae gave go to Arctoidea/Canoidea group (bears and dogs) while Viverravidae gave rise to Aeluroidea/Feloidea group (cats hyenas civets mongooses) around 48 million years ago. The Viverravidae also gave go to a assort called Nimravidae. The Nimravids were cat-like creatures that evolved in parallel with adjust cats; they are not part of true cat lineage and have left no living descendents. The first true cat to become from Viverravidae was Proailurus (first cat") around 30 million years ago. The best-known species was P lemanensis found in France. Proailurus was a small weasel-like cat with relatively short legs and a long body. It had one more premolar on each side of its bottom jaw than do modern cats. About 20 million years ago. Proailurus gave rise to Pseudaelurus. Pseudaelurus were Miocene ancestors of cats. Pseudaelurus lorteti was about the coat of a large lynx while P validus was the size of a large lynx or small puma. Three other species of early cat are described as Pratifelis. Vishnufelis and Sivaelurus (S chinjienis). Pseudaelurus went on to split into two major groups: the Machairodontinae (true sabre-tooths) and Schizailurus (the ancestor of the modern day Felidae group).18 million years ago. Schizailurus gave rise to the Felidae. The first of the modern Felids were the early cheetahs; now represented by Acinonyx (modern cheetah); true cheetahs are believed to have evolved around 7 million years ago. Some sources claim Miracinonyx (North American cheetahs) evolved only 4 million years ago from Acinonyx but recent studies show Miracinonyx was probably ancestral to both cheetahs and puma and was negociate in write between these two modern species. Around 12 million years ago genus Felis appeared and eventually gave rise to many of our small cats. Two of the first modern Felis species were Felis lunensis (Martelli's cat extinct) and Felis manul (Manul or Pallas's Cat living). Extinct Felis species are: F attica. F bituminosa. F daggetti. F issiodorensis (Issoire Lynx). F lunensis and F vorohuensis. The ancestor of modern Felis species was F attica. Genus Panthera ("biting cats" or "roaring cats") genera evolved around 3 million years ago; there are a be of extinct species discussed later in this article. Genera Acinonyx. Felis and Panthera are all represented today and taxa of some modern species is regularly revised as more complete fossils of ancestral species are found giving a clearer indication of who begat whom and when various lineages split. The jaguar-sized Thylacosmilus ("pouched blade") was a large predatory marsupial; part of a unique group of predators on the South American pampas; the borhyaenids. These appeared in the Miocene and ruled the South American forests and woodlands for some 30 million years but have no known ancestor or descendant. Thylacosmilus was the most successful member of that family and was the ultimate mammalian predator of its day in Plio-Pleistocene South America but when the continents of North America and South America joined it lost out to the more highly developed and faster eutherian cats. Two species are described: T atrox and T lentis. Thylacosmilus atrox looked like a sabre-toothed cat but is more closely related to kangaroos. As far as we know. Thylacosmilus was the only marsupial to have developed the sabre-toothed weapon. Like Smilodon the eutherian sabre-tooth tiger it had adapted to hunting mega-fauna. Thylacosmilus lacked incisor teeth but had very long upper canine teeth that grew continually. These desire stabbing teeth projected below the mouth-line. Strong pet and jaw muscles allowed the sabre-teeth to be driven downward with a tremendous killing force. Its huge stabbing teeth were about 15 cm (6 inches) long (longer than those of Smilodon) and may undergo been used to slash the soft throat of its prey. The jaws were capable of a gape that left the teeth clear to do their work. These sabres grew continually throughout Thylacosmilus's life much like the incisors of modern rodents. Unlike Smilodon (see later) it had no scabbard-like tooth-guards on its displace jaw though its skull had a deep flange on its lower jaw forming a protective sheath for when the sabre teeth were not being used. Unlike modern cats which be to be polish and long-legged it appears to undergo been short-legged and heavily built being about 1.2 metres (4 ft) desire and weighing around 100 kilos. Its claws were not retractile. It probably preyed on large slow-moving mammals and when the two continents joined the highly specialised Thylacosmilus could not compete against the faster sleeker eutherian big cats. South America has also had at least three species of cats whose body weights exceeded 300 kilos - about twice the charge of modern lions. The Thylacoleonidae were lion-like marsupials that inhabited Australia in Oligocene to Pleistocene times. They probably hunted across the Australian grasslands although some may undergo been arboreal. They were vombatomorphian (wombat-like) marsupials evolved from herbivore ancestors; their closest living relatives being koalas and wombats. The more primitive species had generalised crushing molar teeth (like modern omnivores) as well as carnassial blades. In more specialised species the crushing molars were reduced or absent and the carnassials had become huge. The Thylacoleonidae ranged from the size of a domestic cat to the coat of a leopard and possibly even the coat of a lion (1.7 metres/5 ft 6 in). So far eight species of marsupial lion have been discovered and there may be at least two more. Those of genus Wakaleo were leopard-sized and designed for cater rather than speed. W alcootaensis was slightly larger than W oldfieldi or W vanderleueri. These "marsupial leopards" may have ambushed prey from tree branches. Priscaleo was much smaller. P pitikantensis was about the coat of a modern Australian possum. P roskellyae was about the size of a domestic cat possibly up to ocelot-sized and may have been arboreal. The most famous member of this family is Thylacoleo carnifex the "marsupial lion". This was Australia's equivalent to the South American marsupial Thylacosmilus atrox and to the eutherian Smilodon. Its enormous meat-shearing carnassial (speak) teeth were the largest of any mammalian predator. It also had bolt-cutter incisors and switch-blade-like claws on its semi-opposable thumbs. It was the most specialised mammalian carnivore ever known; entirely lacking grinding teeth. Because T carnifex lacked large canines it was originally believed to be a herbivore using its unusual front teeth and claws to break open nuts and bear; its lack of grinding teeth suggest a diet of soft fruit such as melons! However wear on the teeth indicates a meat-eating fast and it probably preyed on giant kangaroos and wombats of the measure. Compared to sabre-tigers such as Smilodon it had a short cat-like face and more elaborate carnassial teeth giving it a powerful killing bite. Most modern cats have carnassials that can make noise smaller bones but Thylacoleo's teeth lacked bone-crunching adaptations and were entirely adapted to shearing soft tissue. Projecting front incisors were modified into killing teeth and looked rather like the canines in the placental carnivores; the actual canine teeth were insignificant. T carnifex had a short body closer in length to that of a leopard rather than a lion but the bones of its legs show it was far more robust than a leopard. Estimates derived from size (partly based on skull size) and robustness suggest it weighed between 100 and 130 kilos putting it in the same coat range as modern tigers and lions. It was extremely robust and built for power rather than endurance with tremendously powerful forelimbs. It probably ambushed exploit as large as or larger than itself using the ride claws to hold the prey in a deadly include while employing its fang-like incisors. T carnifex survived until around 50,000 years ago and may undergo come into conflict with early Aboriginal settlers entering Australia. contrast and competition with humans and with the introduced dingo may undergo contributed to the extinction of this highly specialised carnivore. There are theories that relict populations of smaller marsupial lions survive in the form of the cryptozoological "Queensland Tiger". Like Thylacoleo the Queensland Tiger is described as short-headed sharp-clawed and superficially cat desire. Eyewitnesses (and a single photograph) show it to undergo vertical striped on the forequarters. It has never been positively identified. The Nimravidae were a separate family of cat-like animals that evolved agree to the true cats (Felidae). The common ancestor of the Nimravidae and the Felidae was the Viverravidae (feline-like) assort of miacids some 55 million years ago in the late Eocene. Proailurus a descendent of the miacids evolved into Pseudaelurus which split into two main groups one of which became the modern cats (Neofelids) and one became the Machairodonts (adjust sabre-toothed cats a sub-family of the Felidae). Nimravids are also known as the Paleofelids (ancient cats) or False Sabre-toothed Cats (because they are cat-like but not true cats). They were the earliest cats to evolve and lived from the late Eocene (36 million years ago) to the late Miocene (5 million years ago) peaking around 28 million years ago. The three subfamilies of nimravid and their genera are shown in the table below. Some are known from single or fragmented specimens and the taxonomy may change as more fossils are discovered. Nimravids had different skulls to adjust cats. The structure of their middle and inner ear was different and many Nimravids had a flange on the front of the displace jaw (also seen in some machairodonts [adjust sabre-tooths] and thylacosmilids [marsupial sabre-tooth]). The flange is a bony prominence that projects downwards and is as long as the canine teeth; the teeth fit into a groove. Barbourofelis has the most prominent flange while Nimravus and Dinaelurus lacked a flange. The actual sabres were change pointed canines whose length varied according to species. Nimravids were very cat-like in appearance and had retractile claws. Many were muscular and low slung with heavy-set bodies on short legs. desire the modern lynx some were short-tailed although many others were long-bodied and long-tailed. The skulls of genera Dinictis. Nimravus and Dinaelurus are especially cat-like. Their prominent upper canines were longer than those of modern cats but shorter than those of the true sabre-toothed cats; their lower canines were proportionally longer. The most common species in the fossil record are those belonging to Dinictis. Eusmilus. Hoplophoneus and Barbourofelis. Hoplophoneus lived during the late Oligocene (33 - 30.5 million years ago) some 20 million years before Smilodon. Some earlier authors erroneously displace Hoplophoneus among the Felidae (true cats) as the ancestor of Smilodon and true sabre-tooths but current fossil evidence makes this incorrect and indicates that Hoplophoneus and Smilodon are from different evolutionary lines. Some were the coat of bobcats while others were jaguar-sized. desire many other Nimravids. Hoplophoneous had a bony flange into which its curved canines fit. Nimravus has been found in France and parts of North America from the early Oligocene to early Miocene. Some were 1.2 metres (4 ft) long. With its sleek body it may undergo resembled the modern caracal although it had a longer back and more dog-like feet with partially retractile claws. It competed with other false sabre-tooths such as Eusmilus. A Nimravus skull open in North America had been pierced in the forehead region the hole exactly matching the dimensions of Eusrnilus' sabre tooth; Nimravus survived as the wound showed signs of healing. It probably hunted birds and small mammals ambushing them like modern cats rather than chasing them drink. Some specimens comfort have unclear classification for example a species once identified as N catacopis is closer to true cats and is now classified as Machairodus aphanistus (previously Machairodus catacopis). Dinictis was a small nimravid that lived on the plains of North America during the late Eocene and early Oligocene (40 million years ago). Dinictids had a sleek bodies short legs desire tails and walked plantigrade ("on the whole foot" modern cats walk digitigrade "on the toes"). Eusmilus was a dirk-toothed cat open in France and parts of North America during the late Oligocene (30.5-28.5 million years ago). It was noted for its long flattened sabres and very prominent mandibular flange. Most were leopard-sized and rather long-bodied and short-legged compared to modern leopards. Some reached 2.5 metres (8 ft) desire. It was a typical false sabre-tooth with enlarged upper canines but insignificant lower canines while many of the other teeth had been lost to accommodate its sabres (Eusmilus had 26 teeth compared to 44 teeth in other carnivores). The jaw attach was modified to open to an angle of 90 degrees to allow the great sabre teeth to do their work. Its displace jaw had bony guards that lay along the length of the sabres protecting them from alter when the mouth was closed. There is fossil evidence of contrast between Eusmilus and Nimravus. The lion-sized Barbourofelis was one of the most recent members of the Nimravidae family. It lived during the late Miocene (15 million - 6 million years ago) and had the longest canines of all the nimravids. They had very prominent flanges on the displace jaws and an unusually shaped skull. The Barbourofelids were probably very muscular resembling a bear-like lion or lion-like bear. Pogonodon was a cat-like sabre-tooth. The Machairodontinae are true cats and their fossils undergo been found in North America. Europe. Asia and Africa. Although we tend to think of the sabre-toothed tiger there were two varieties of sabre-toothed cats: dirk-toothed cats and scimitar-toothed cats. Dirk-toothed cats had two desire change upper canines and were usually short-legged and stocky. Scimitar-toothed cats had upper canines that were shorter and broader longer thinner legs and were generally more lithe. The exception was a cat known as Xenosmilus which has the short broad canines of a scimitar-toothed cat but has short legs. Modern cats have conical canine teeth but the machairodonts' (machairodont means "sabre tooth") canines were flattened from side to side (like a blade) as well as being elongated. To accommodate their large canines they had fewer upper premolar teeth. Their incisor teeth were larger angled differently and placed further forward than in modern cats. Other adaptations allowed them to open their jaws extremely wide and gave them strong neck muscles. Some species such as Megantereon had a bony flange that protruded downward from the front of their lower jaw. Although the sabre-toothed cats have long dagger-like canines these were probably too blunt and fragile to be used to stab prey. They were unlikely to have gone for the nape of the neck to sever the spine like many modern cats. If they hit bone they could shatter (leading to abscesses and possibly fatal bacterial infections). The current theory is that sabre-toothed cats went for the soft throat of their prey using their powerful teeth to sever the arteries and windpipe. These were Eurasian scimitar-toothed cats that lived during the late Miocene to early Pleistocene. The best known genus is Dinofelis ("giant cat") which lived in Eurasia. Africa and North America around 5 million - 1.5 million years ago. In South Africa. Dinofelis has also been open at sites along with Australopithecines so it was probably a predator of our own ancestors. Genus Dinofelis includes cats previously classified as Therailurus. It became extinct in Eurasia and North America during the Early Pleistocene but survived in Africa until the Mid-Pleistocene. The largest known form was the Chinese D abeli. Its size and build are comparable to a large leopard or jaguar (1.2 metres/4 ft) with forelimbs more heavily built than hind-limbs. desire the modern jaguar they may have been forest-dwellers. Dinofelis ("giant cat") had flattened canines considerably shorter than those of the sabre-tooths scimitar-tooths or change surface dirk-tooth cats. The canines were longer than those of biting cats (those that kill prey with a single neck-bite) so it is debatable as to which subfamily of the Dinofelis belongs. Metailurus lived 15 - 8 million years ago and were similar to Dinofelis in body write and shape. They were smaller than Dinofelis being leopard sized but had longer canine teeth negociate between modern cats and sabre-toothed cats. Like Dinofelis. Metailurus was stockily built with forelimbs more heavily built that its hind limbs. Its create suggests it hunted in forested areas and may undergo been more arboreal than Dinofelis. The puma-sized Adelphailurus is known from a hit type specimen from Kansas. USA. Unusually for a cat. Adelphailurus kansensis retained the upper second premolar a trait it shared with Stenailurus. The members of genus Pontosmilus were formerly classified as Paramachairodus. This comprises the genera Machairodus. Homotherium and Xenosmilus. Classification is liable to be revised as more fossils are discovered and there are museum specimens assigned to 4 other genera. Machairodus is a variable genus of large sabre-toothed cats ranging in coat and structure from smaller varieties right up to lion-sized. They were open in Europe. Asia. Africa and North America from 15 - 2 million years ago. The taxonomy is debatable. They have large canine teeth and its incisors canines and carnassials has serrated edges. There were two basic types of Machairodus: the primitive type and the evolved write (possibly adaptations to different environments). The more primitive types included M aphanistus and resembled Smilodon. The more evolved write had serrated teeth and elongated forelimbs structurally similar to the hyena-like Homotherium; they may undergo been ancestral to Homotherium. The variable forms indicate a adaptations to different environments ranging from forest/woodland dwelling to plains hunting. The hyena-like species may have covered long distances while hunting or for opportunistic scavenging. Homotherium (therium = "beast") is a group of unique hyena-like sabre-toothed cats that also ranged widely (Africa. Asia. Europe. North America) from 3 million - 0.5 million years ago. They were about 1.2 metres (4 ft) long with front limbs longer than the rear ones. Homotherium's incisors were very large and robust and they had serrated medium-length canine teeth. Homotherium is a scimitar-toothed cat i e it has shorter flatter canines than other sabre-tooth cats and its canines curve backwards desire scimitar blades. Homotherium would undergo had the sloping look of a hyena with slender legs and relatively long neck. Its anatomy declare that it walked with the whole foot on the ground (plantigrade) desire a bear. This hyena-like conformation may have allowed them to cover long distances when hunting. It is more likely to have walked semi-plantigrade the back sloping slightly; an adaptation for greater strength. Hometherium survived until the end of the last ice age about 14,000 years ago and probably preyed on mammoths possibly hunting in family groups. In Texas the bones of a family assort of scimitar-tooths are preserved alongside young mammoths and their eventual extinction was probably linked to a decline in exploit species. As an adaptation to ice age conditions some species may have been white or color grey (like modern arctic predators). H serum the North American scimitar cat ,was originally named Dinobastis serus. It was short-tailed and slender-limbed with relatively long forelimbs and short powerful hindlimbs. Its deepened chin meant that its upper canines did not protrude beyond the lower margin of the lower jaw. H serum's large nasal opening like that of the cheetah would have allowed quicker oxygen intake aiding in rapid running. Skulls show it had a large visual cortex indicative of a daytime hunter. It was built for short bursts of go rather than long chases. The claws of its forelimbs were not retractile allowing exceed traction at high go. Its hind limbs were shorter than its forelimbs and had a bear-like heel and ankle. The long hind feet had non-retractile claws. H latidens is depicted in paleolithic stone carvings from Isturitz south-western France show a short-tailed big cat with a deeply set lower jaw. This matches the traits of the European Scimitar-tooth. H latidens. The carving suggests that the cats had spotted pelts and paler undersides. H ultimum the Asian scimitar cat occurred in China. Homotherium ischyros (or Ischyrosmilus) had canines serrated like steak-knives along their lie and approve edges. This made it easier to slice through the skin of thick-skinned prey. Megantereon lacked these serrations on its upper canines. Ischyrosmilus's exact taxonomy is unclear and it may be one of the Smilodontini. Xenosmilus ("strange knife") lived in the Florida. USA region 1.7 - 1 million years ago and was a robust cat with short legs and very thick stout canine teeth. It was lion-sized very robust and somewhat bear-like Pleistocene felid (length 2 metres / 7 ft charge 180-230 kg / 400-500 lbs). Like Homotherium it had broad knifelike coarsely crenulated teeth and projecting long curved serrated incisors but it had the bunco stout-legged features of Smilodon. Originally palaeontologists thought they had mixed up the bones of 2 other species since dirk-tooth cats were bear-like with two long narrow upper canine teeth and short legs while scimitar-tooth cats were longer-legged with two shorter broader upper canines. Xenosmilus had a mix of features: the bunco broad coarsely crenulated teeth of a chasing cat but the stocky legs of an ambush hunter. It probably stalked close to its prey and then sprinted from cover to surprise it. The specimens were found with bones of peccaries (wild pigs) giving an indication of its main prey. It appears to have been a more specialised sabre-toothed cat than Smilodon and its size made it the most ferocious sabre-tooth in the world at the time. Smilodon may only have become a dominant predator after Xenosmilus vanished. This contains the famous sabre-toothed "tiger". Smilodon ("blade tooth") of the late Pleistocene age (1.5 million - 10,000 years ago). The three known species were widespread throughout the Americas. Smilodon was stocky with bunco powerful legs and a bobtail. Their canine teeth were the longest of all the adjust sabre-toothed cats being about 18 cm long. The South America Smilodon populator was the largest species. The South American Smilodon neogaeus is probably a synonym for S populator. The more famous Smilodon fatalis was found across North and South America having migrated there from North America during the Pleistocene. S fatalis is sometimes divided into two displace species: S californicus and S floridanus (these may undergo been sub-species or variant populations i e. S fatalis californicus and S fatalis floridanus). They are usually compared to the modern lion based on be length (1.2 metres/4 ft) and conformation but were more robustly and powerfully built. S fatalis and S populator were around 11/2 - 2 times heavier than the add up lion (around 170 kilos). Smilodon gracilis was the smallest of the Smilodons and the earliest species (about 2.5 million years ago); it was found in the eastern United States and weighed around 80 kilos. Smilodon's anatomy shows them to be were specialised hunters of big game; they probably ambushed their exploit - their robust build is not designed for chasing it down. Most modern cats have carnassials that can make noise smaller bones but Smilodon's teeth lacked bone-crunching adaptations and were entirely adapted to shearing soft tissue. The muscles of its shoulders and pet were arranged to produce a powerful downward lunge of its massive head. The jaw opened to an angle of over 120 degrees to allow the huge upper canines to be driven into prey. The canines were oval in cross-section to retain strength but also to verify minimum resistance as they were sunk into the prey. They were also serrated along their straighten edges so they pierced flesh more easily. They probably preyed on large slow-moving thick-skinned herbivores but also scavenged dead and dying animals. More than 2000 Smilodon skeletons have been recovered from the Pleistocene tar pits of La Brea (Los Angeles. USA) where they had been fatally lured by large animals trapped in the tar. It seems likely that Smilodon lived in family groups much desire modern lions and possibly hunted in groups. Some specimens showed signs of healed fractures suggesting they ate food caught by family members. Their extinction seems to have coincided with change state plains taking over from forest/woodland. Smilodon was not built for the follow and this reduction in adjoin would have made it harder to ambush prey. Megantereon was another genus of cats with impressive canine teeth although they are not well-represented. About the size of a jaguar (1.2 metres/4 ft) they flourished in the Mediterranean and spread throughout Africa. Eurasia and North America around 3 million - 1 million years ago. The only complete skeleton was found in France. They had very large upper canines but relatively small lower ones. Though impressive its teeth were more like daggers than sabres in size and shape hence Megantereon and its immediate relatives are referred to as dirk-tooth (dagger-tooth) cats. They are also characterized by their prominent mandibular flange. Only a single species. Megantereon cultridens is known from fossil records although some Chinese specimens are known as M nihowanensis. They are believed by most to be the enjoin ancestors of Smilodon and other later sabre-tooth cats. Also in this group is Paramachairodus although it is under much debate as to the placement of this genus. Many animals formerly placed in this genus have been reassigned to Pontosmilus and placed within Metailurini. They are thought to have existed between 20 - 9 million years ago. The two species known are Paramachairodus ogygia (Spain) and Paramachairodus orientalis plus the disputed P maximiliani.. Modern Felids evolved around 18 million years ago. The first of these were the early cheetahs; now represented by Acinonyx (modern cheetah); true cheetahs are believed to have evolved around 7 million years ago. Some sources claim Miracinonyx (North American cheetahs) evolved only 4 million years ago from Acinonyx but recent studies show ("miracle cheetah") was probably ancestral to both cheetahs and puma and was negociate in type between these two modern species. Another cheetah was the Sivapanthera genus. Cheetah-like cats arose around 18 million years ago. According to some studies the ancestor of modern cheetahs originated in Africa during the Miocene and later migrated giving rise to the now-extinct North American cheetahs. More recent studies suggest that a North American cheetah called Miracinonyx was the ancestor of both African cheetahs (modern Acinonyx) and American pumas (Puma concolor). Miracinonyx would have migrated across continents during the Ice Age. Miracinonyx inexpectatus [M studeri] existed in North America during the early Pleistocene (1 to 1.5 millions years ago) and may be even older. It had proportions negociate between the modern cheetah and modern pumaAs a result iIt is sometimes linked to the cryptozoological Onza (a gracile create of puma). Two species of cheetah inhabited late Pleistocene North America (100,000 years ago): Miracinonyx inexpectatus [M studeri] and Miracinonyx trumani. Fossil evidence of early cheetahs is fragmentary but Miracinonyx resembles modern cheetahs in having a short approach wide nasal passages and desire be but were less lanky. M inexpectatus and M trumani may be the reason North American evolved into such abstain sprinters; North America has no living predator able to match the pronghorn's in speed. Unlike modern cheetahs. Miracinonyx inexpectatus had fully retractile claws and more robust conformation with shorter limbs than modern cheetahs. M inexpectatus would have been faster than the puma but not as accomplished a sprinter as modern cheetahs; it was also better equipped for climbing. The early true cheetah. Acinonyx pardinensis appeared during the Pliocene and at 200 lbs were much larger than modern cheetahs. Known as Giant Cheetahs they became widespread in China southern Europe and India throughout the Ice Age were lion-sized cheetah and probably as fast as modern cheetahs. Intermediate-sized cheetahs. Acinonyx intermedius ranged from Africa as Far East as China during the mid-Pleistocene and became adapted to hunting on open grassland. These were larger than modern cheetahs. Acinonyx parchidinensis was the Pleistocene cheetah. The smaller modern cheetah. A jubatus was once much more widespread but became extinct in eastern Asia at the end of the Ice Age. Biting cats are so-called because their relatively short strong canines are adapted to dispatching prey by biting the bones and sinew of the neck and throttling it. Genus Panthera genera evolved around 3 million years ago and these undergo become the modern day big cats ("roaring cats" or "biting cats"). Prehistoric relatives of modern big cats lived between the Pleistocene to Recent times and ranged across South Africa. Asia. Europe and North America. Some such as the "core out lion" were truly impressive creatures reaching 3.5 metres (111/2 ft). The modern lion. Panthera leo is now restricted to parts of Africa and to western India. There are extinct sub-species of the modern lion; until recent times there were sub-species in Arabia and Iran (the Barbary lion has been rediscovered and is being conserved). Primitive lions (P leo fossilis) dispersed in the Old World about 500,000 years ago. P youngi from north-eastern China 350,000 years ago had similarities to both P leo spelaea (European Cave Lion) and P leo atrox (North American core out Lion) and may be a cerebrate between the Eurasian/American cave lions and Asian/African modern lions. Extinct Panthera species include: P atrox (P leo atrox) (American lion). P gombaszoegensis (European jaguar). P leo spelaea (European Cave Lion). P palaeosinensis (a primitive leopard). P pardoides (a primitive leopard). P schaubi (a short-faced leopard) and P toscana (Tuscany lion. Tuscany jaguar). Some of these classifications are being revised as more complete specimens are discovered. Panthera schaubi (syn Viretailurus schaubi) which resembles a short-faced leopard is currently regarded as an Old World puma. Puma schaubi. Panthera leo spelaea the European Cave Lion (300,000 to 10,000 years ago) was probably the largest cat that ever lived being around 25% larger than modern lions and larger than modern Siberian tigers. It was probably comparable in size to modern liger hybrids. It ranged across most of Europe and is depicted in cave paintings. core out paintings and remains show that it lived until historical times in south-eastern Europe and possibly as recently as 2000 years ago in the Balkans. core out paintings from Germany show core out lions as having ruffs or manes and tufted tails. A wall engraving from France and an ivory figurine of a lion-pelt-wearing human from Russia tell faintly striped pelts. European Cave Lions inhabited steppes and parkland regions in the north and semi-desert areas in the south of Eurasia. They were evidently not adapted to deep snow or to dense forests. Panthera atrox (P leo atrox) was a North American lion whose range extended to northern South America (Peru). P atrox crossed to North America over the Bering Strait arrive bridge during the last ice age about 35,000 to 20,000 years ago. Its remains have been open in Alaska and some specimens undergo been found in the La Brea tar pits. Los Angeles. USA. Relatively few P atrox fossils have been recovered from La Brea compared to fossils of other carnivores; this lion may undergo been intelligent enough to forbid the natural traps. It probably hunted deer. North American horses (which became extinct and were reintroduced by European settlers) and American bison. They were among the largest flesh-eating land animals that lived during the Ice Age. Compared to modern African lions they attained enormous coat (25% larger) and had relatively long slender limbs. Panthera schaubi currently classified as Puma schaubi was a short-faced leopard-like cat about the size of a small leopard or large lynx; it is believed to be an Old World puma. Fossil leopards have been found in France and Italy but in small quantities suggesting they were not prevalent in Europe. Felis lacustris ("Lake Cat") also appears to be a North American Pliocene puma. Panthera gombaszoegensis (P onca gombaszoegensis) the European Jaguar was present around 1.6 million years ago and was larger than early American jaguars probably hunting larger prey. They ranged across Italy. England. Germany. Spain and France. Although currently given its own classification. P
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