The Cave Lion (Panthera spelaea and Panthera fossilis)

[tigerluver]

A full report on two frozen cave lion cubs is out:

The Preliminary Analysis of Cave Lion Cubs Panthera spelaea (Goldfuss, 1810) from the Permafrost of Siberia

Most interesting part I found was the assertion of the pelage change with age.:
"The general tone of the colour of the fur coat of Sparta is greyish to light brown, whereas, in Boris, the fur is generally lighter, greyish yellowish. It is, therefore, possible that light colouration prevailed with age in cave lions and was adaptive for northern snow-covered landscapes."

*This image is copyright of its original author

The color in figure B is what they assert may be the adult pelage. Interestingly, no spots on the cubs as in modern lines. Sparta (figure e) also has what is almost a stripe down its back.

Perhaps BBC had the color right after.:

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