IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Sotnikova, M.V.; Foronova, I.V. | |
| First Asian record of _Panthera (Leo) fossilis_ (Mammalia, Carnivora, Felidae) in the Early Pleistocene of Western Siberia, Russia | |
| 2014 Integrative Zoology (9): 517-530 | |
A lion-like pantherine felid is described as _Panthera (Leo) fossilis_ from the late Early Pleistocene sediments of the Kuznetsk Basin (Western Siberia, Russia). The find of_ P. fossilis_ first recorded in Asia considerably extends the current notion of the eastward expansion of the most ancient lions. The Siberian lion is geologically the oldest form and is dimensionally among the largest members of the group of fossil lions on the Eurasian continent. Although known by mandibular remains only, it is readily distinguished from _Panthera (Leo) spelaea_ by a heavy built mandibular corpus with rectangular profile in the cheek teeth area, a deep, well-outlined and narrow anterior section of the masseteric fossa, and a large p4 supported by a big unreduced anterior root. The Siberian lion shares these features with the European Middle Pleistocene _P. fossilis _and the American Late Pleistocene _P. (Leo) atrox_, which suggests their close relationship._ P. atrox_ originated from _P. fossilis_ and was isolated in North America south of the Late Pleistocene ice sheets. This explains why the American lion has retained more primitive features than the coeval Eurasian cave lion _P. (L.) spelaea_. |
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