American Lion - Panthera Leo Atrox
Pleistocene Epoch

American Lion. Photographic Art Print 13" x 19". Panthera leo atrox from Pleistocene epoch by J.Moravec is in the art collection of Dinosaur Corporation.


AMERICAN LION (panthera leo atrox) This extinct lion was found in throughout North America as well as northern South America. But the earliest known ancestor (with both lion-and tiger-like characters) from early Pleistocene was found in East Africa. The cave lion stock that gave rise to American lions probably entered Alaska from Siberia. American and cave lions became extinct about 10,000 years ago. In main features American lion strongly resembled modern lions. It was one of the largest carnivore that lived during the Ice Age in America. Further, we know about some rituals and hunting by people from European Paleolithic sites. For example: a carving of a man (Hohlenstein Cave, Germany) with an ivory lion mask probably depicts an attempt of a man (shaman) to gain the lion's power; a small cave lion head (Dolni Vestonice, Czech Republic) with two stab holes made in the wet clay suggests ritual killing. American lion had long, slender limbs, sharp retractable claws and sharp teeth. It was larger than the saber tooth cats (Smilodon), males were much larger than male African lions. The most well-preserved fossils were found out of the Rancho La Brea tar pits (over 80 individuals) in Los Angeles and in Alaska, Yukon. Other subspecies of the American leo can be found today in parts of Africa and in western India. What is more, there is unique evidence of American lion in European caves, painted by Paleolithic masters (about 40,000 to 10,000 years ago). On the base of Paleolithic art we can recognize some differences between the American lions and the living African lions. SIZE - 11ft. 6in. (3.5m) long WEIGHT: male about 235 kg, females about 175 kg.