The Cave Lion (Panthera spelaea and Panthera fossilis)

[GrizzlyClaws]

(11-16-2017, 09:44 AM)Wolverine Wrote:

(11-15-2017, 09:33 PM)tigerluver Wrote: largest skulls of P. atrox most are aware of (458 mm) and a bit smaller than the giant Mokhnevskaya P. fossilis skull (475 mm) and University of California giant P. atrox skull (467.5 mm).

Is this skull of P.fossilis from Mokhnevskaya the largest ever discovered skull of cat from genus Panthera? Could be assumed that this specimen from Mokhnevskaya is the largest Pantherinae known to the science till this moment?

According to Bergmann's rule within a broadly distributed taxonomic clade, populations and species of larger size are found in colder and northern environments, and species of smaller size are found in warmer and southern regions. From all ancient representatives of genus Panthera representatives of P.fossilis inhabited most northern latitudes of the Earth - Siberia and Alaska, hence P. fossilis logically should be larger than P.atrox, P.tigris soloensis and P. tigris acutidiens.

The largest Panthera fossilis skull was the one found in Chateau France at 484.7 mm, the Mokhnevskaya Cave one at 475 mm should belong as the second largest Panthera fossilis skull.

And France is not particularly northern in latitude, and the largest feline skull ever was found there. Reply