The American Lion is a genus of large pantherine cat that originated during the Pleistocene epoch in what is now North America. One of the apex predators of the Ice Age, this was also one of the largest species of feline that had ever existed.
Thought to have been extinct for 10,000 years, there are still some that remain alive on Primeval Island.
Facts[]
Era & Discovery[]
The American Lion lived during the Pleistocene epoch and through to the Early Holocene, from 1,000,000 to 10,000 years ago. One of the top predators of the Ice Age, the American Lion may have seemed out of reach, but they were common in Europe during the ice age.
P. spelaea was first described by the German paleontologist Georg August Goldfuss in 1810 under the scientific name Felis spelaea. The first fossil lion skull was excavated in a cave in southern Germany, research suggests that it may date to the Würm glaciation.
Physical Attributes[]
The American Lion was more related to the modern species rather than other extinct cats, such as Dinofelis and even Smilodon. Standing 5 feet tall, measuring 12 feet (3.7 m) in length, and weighing between 318 to 422 kg (700 to 930 lbs.), the American Lion was the second largest cat that has ever existed, after the Ngandong Tiger and was larger than modern lions of today and slightly bigger than tigers.
These American Lion males also lacked manes like the eastern subspecies of the modern beasts, but some African and Asian male lions also lack manes (or have smaller than expected). Unlike the modern lions, however, American Lions also had thick fur, like most modern Siberian tigers, especially in winter.
In addition to being equipped with 20 retractable, sharp claws on each foot, the American Lion also had bone-crushing teeth and a bite force of over 1,800 pounds, twice the strength of a modern lion's 900-pound bite force. The American Lion was also a very fast animal, capable of running 30 mph.
Behavior & Traits[]
The American Lion was a major predator, hunting ice age deer, bison, and other animals. These lions also were ambush predators, laying in wait and erupting out of the brush to tackle their prey with impressive speed, agility, and strength.
However, like all cats, the American Lion could only chase prey over a short distance. Despite their size, strength, and relatively long legs, American Lions were not designed for long-distance chases. Additionally, due to their great size, hunting for them is described as "nearly impossible". Therefore, it was hard for them to hide from their prey as they needed heavy cover to hide their bodies.
Trivia[]
- The sound effects of the American Lion are stock lion sounds mixed with elephant sound effects.