American Lion (Panthera atrox)

[Balam]

American lion and cave lion fossil remains are found together in the same Canadian locality. This is the first time that the two species have been found to be sympatric.

"Fossils found in Medicine Hat, Alberta change that. The fossils themselves were collected in the 1960s along the South Saskatchewan River, but, as Reynolds and coauthors note, the cat bones that were plucked up were never properly described. Upon examination, the cat remains in this one place represent several species – lynx, the American lion Panthera atrox, the cave lion Panthera spelaea, and Smilodon fatalis.


(The discovery of the American lion and cave lion in the same place is also noteworthy, not just for expanding the range of cave lions into southern Alberta but also driving the point that paleontologists should carefully evaluate their appraisal of lion remains in North America given there are two species in play.)"

https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/laelaps/canada-gets-its-first-smilodon/ Reply