American Lion

The American lion (Panthera leo atrox or Panthera atrox) — also known as the North American lion or American cave lion — is an extinct feline of the family Felidae, endemic to North America during the Pleistocene epoch (1.8 mya to 11,000 years ago), existing for approximately 1.79 million years. While it was once considered a subspecies of lion closely related to the Eurasian cave lion (Panthera leo spelaea), later study showed that it was not in fact a true lion and cannot be assigned to any modern species of cat. The American lion was one of the largest types of cat ever to have existed, slightly larger than the Early Middle Pleistocene primitive cave lion, P. Leo Fossilis and about twenty-five percent larger than the modern African lion.   
Category:Extinct Animals
Category:Cats
Category:Carnivores
Category:Mammals
Category:Cenozoic Animals