There is a world somewhere between reality and fiction. Although ignored by many, it is very real and so are those living in it. This forum is about the natural world. Here, wild animals will be heard and respected. The forum offers a glimpse into an unknown world as well as a room with a view on the present and the future. Anyone able to speak on behalf of those living in the emerald forest and the deep blue sea is invited to join.
(04-22-2014, 05:06 AM)'GrizzlyClaws' Wrote: The historical European lions should also belong to the Panthera leo leo subspecies, probably just a different clade from the Barbary lion and Asiatic lion.
I agree, as those specimens are normally classified in the group of the Persian lions. Sadly, in this case, we don't have a single skull or skin to work with. Pure modern lions (Panthera leo) get extinct from Europe without leaving a single evidence of they existence, apart from the reports in the classic literature. The descriptions of these lions is more poetic than realistic, completely different from the detailed descriptions of the Persians. The only thing that we know about European lions is that they existed some time ago, but nothing more. [img]images/smilies/sad.gif[/img]
This reminds me the case of Caspian tiger, where no fossil was left.