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.
Cave lion hair
A while back, I posted on a hair sample from Kirillova et al. (2015) that was stated to have a follow up study. Well, that study is out.
At the time, the paper said the hair was red while showing a black and white photograph, but now we have this gem:
*This image is copyright of its original author
The source is Morphological and genetic identification and isotopic study of the hair of a cave lion (Panthera spelaea Goldfuss, 1810) from the Malyi Anyui River (Chukotka, Russia) (Chernova et al. 2016).
DNA was extracted from the hair and a phylogenetic tree was created. Only species seen on this tree were compared to (thus no tiger or snow leopard DNA was used for comparison).
*This image is copyright of its original author
Summarizing:
1. Like the modern lion, the cave lion as 4 types of hair, two guard hairs (upper layer) and two downy hairs (under layer).
2. The cave lion had a dense and thick undercoat consisting of compacted, wavy hair. This is likely the product of adaptation to the frigid climates of the time.
3. The cave lion was colored somewhat different from the modern lion, but for simpler terms, refer to the photo.
4. Most structural traits of the hair between the cave lion and modern lion are similar but there are clear distinctions from both the Asiatic and African lion forms.