Panthera

* P. spelaea
* P.atrox

## *Panthera spelaea*

★★★★★

Unknown

## Diet

 Meat

Panthera is a genus of large felids that have roamed most of the world since the late Miocene. The genus is unique in Prehistoric Kingdom due to the fact that it still has living members (Lions, Tigers, Leopards, Jaguars, and Snow Leopards).

Prehistoric Kingdom will include the extinct species *P. spelaea and P.atrox,* better known as the Eurasian and American Cave Lion respectively.

They will be added to the game in Early Access Update 10.

## *Panthera atrox*

★★★★★

Unknown

## Creation

### Breeding Cost

TBD

Panthera is a genus of large felids that have roamed most of the world since the late Miocene. The genus is unique in Prehistoric Kingdom due to the fact that it still has living members (Lions, Tigers, Leopards, Jaguars, and Snow Leopards).

Prehistoric Kingdom will include the extinct species *P. spelaea and P.atrox,* better known as the Eurasian and American Cave Lion respectively.

They will be added to the game in Early Access Update 10.

## In-Game

### Description

Both species of Panthera in Prehistoric Kingdom bear largely beige-light brown fur coats and a dark tail tip, with *P. spelaea* being spotless and sharply counter-shaded, while *P. atrox* bears faint rosettes similar to those seen in younger modern Lions and a more faded countershading pattern across its body.

*P. atrox* is the larger of the two species, being in the same size class as fellow felid *Smilodon populator.* Though while their size may be similar, the Sabertooths and Cave Lions bear striking differences including overall proportions, skull shape, tail length, coat patterning, vocalization, and more.

## Paleontology

*Panthera spelaea* and *Panthera atrox* are quintessential "Big Cats" in every sense of the word, as members of Pantherinae (the 'true big cats'), and in their overall stature. The genus Panthera was coined in 1816 by Lorenz Oken and later underwent some major revisions, as before this most cats were housed under the genus Felis.

*P. spelaea* itself was even originally named as '*Felis spelaea'* in 1810 by Georg August Goldfuss using a lion skull excavated from a cave in southern Germany. The Cave Lion was later long considered a subspecies of *Panthera leo*, but more close research of the characteristics of its skull and later genetic analysis has supported *P. spelaea* as its own species. This species is known from stellar physical remains including both skeletal material and mummified cubs, and beautifully detailed cave paintings such as those found in the French Chauvet Cave.

*P. atrox* was also originally described as a species of Felis; '*Felis atrox'*, by Joseph Leidy in 1853 using a fragmentary jawbone, only being moved into the genus Panthera in 1941. Other material was found later and named as different multiple different species that were later synonymized with Atrox. The bulk of *P. atrox* material is known from the world famous La Brea Tar Pits, with 80+ individuals known from the site.

## Paleoecology

*Panthera spelaea* is thought to have split off from its ancestral population *Panthera fossilis* around 460,000 years ago, ranging across Eurasia and into Beringia; the ice age landmass bridging Eurasia and North America. These animals acted as apex predators of the Mammoth Steppe, hunting prey such as Bison, young Mammuthus, and other large game similar to their modern kin in Africa today.

*Panthera atrox* is thought to have descended from an isolated population of early *P. spelaea* cut off from the Beringian population by massive glaciers around 340,000 years ago, growing larger and more cursorial than its Eurasian kin. The species ranged widely over North America south of the glaciers, but never made it to South America, remains that were once thought to belong to a South American population of *P. atrox* instead turned out to be abnormally large Jaguars.

## Gallery

The Eurasian Cave Lion (P. spelaea)The American Cave Lion (P. atrox)
## Trivia

* Panthera was revealed in the October 2023 Devlog, along with Carcharodontosaurus; both species had been considered in the very early stages of development back in 2014, but were thought to have been scrapped.
	+ While the Carcharodontosaurus had concept art, an in-engine render, and audio; the Cave Lion only had audio made at that time.
* Panthera was the second felid to be added to Prehistoric Kingdom, with the first being Smilodon.
* The original Panthera model revealed in the October 2023 Devlog bears a small flaw; the inclusion of dewclaws on their hindlimbs, a trait absent in modern cats and Cave Lions.
	+ The claws will be removed from the final in-game model before release according to the developers.