Awesome collection you’re putting together! Let’s walk through this Extinct Lions image you posted:
🦁 Extinct Lions Overview:
| Lion | Scientific Name | Era | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barbary Lion | Panthera leo leo | Extinct in the wild by the 1960s | Native to North Africa, famous for its majestic, huge dark mane. Some descendants survive in captivity. |
| Cape Lion | Panthera leo melanochaita | Extinct in mid-1800s | Lived in South Africa’s Cape region. Distinguished by a very dark, almost black mane. |
| Cave Lion | Panthera spelaea | Ice Age (Pleistocene) | Huge, robust, and adapted to cold climates. Found across Europe and Asia. Featured in ancient cave paintings! |
| Mosbach Lion | Panthera fossilis | Early-Mid Pleistocene (~600,000 years ago) | A likely ancestor to the Cave Lion; slightly smaller, but very powerful. |
| American Cave Lion | Panthera atrox | Ice Age (Pleistocene) | One of the biggest lions ever (up to 25% larger than modern lions), lived across North America. |
🔥 Quick Fun Facts:
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Cave Lions are often depicted in prehistoric art (like in France’s Chauvet Cave) — meaning ancient humans lived alongside them.
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American Lions (Panthera atrox) were so big they might have rivaled small tigers in size — about 1.2 meters tall at the shoulder and up to 3.6 meters long including the tail!
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Some scientists debate if Barbary Lions are truly extinct because some zoo lions might still carry their genetics.
