American lion

The American lion (Panthera leo atrox) – also known as the North American cave lion – is an extinct subspecies of lion that lived in North America during the Pleistocene epoch (340,000 to 11,000 years ago). Genetic analysis has revealed that it was the sister lineage to the Eurasian cave lion. It was part of the Pleistocene megafauna, a wide variety of large mammals that lived at the time. The majority of American lion fossils have come from the La Brea Tar Pits.
The American lion was about 25% larger than the modern African lion, making it one of the largest known felids.
Category:Animals
Category:Creatures
Category:Lions
Category:Pleistocene carnivorans
Category:Prehistoric felines
Category:Prehistoric mammals of north america
Category:Extinct animals of the united states
Category:Fossil taxa described in 1853
Category:Felines
Category:Mammals