Cave Lions - Biology, Evolutionary Origins, and Extinction - Case Study Example

Cave Lions: Their Biology, Evolutionary Origins and Extinction Introduction Lions are the most feared wild species of the animal kingdom. They belong to the cat family. Actual attacks by lions against both animals and humans have been recorded over the years, causing severe injuries and even deaths. With its size and muscular body, paws, canine teeth, and hunting skills, the modern-day lion can kill and eat their prey using a few hunting moves. However, fossils and cave artifacts found in the caves all over Europe and some in Asia suggest that there once lived a member of the cat family that was 25 percent bigger than the present breed of lions (Brakefield, 1993, p. 56). Primarily believed to be a kind of its own, the cave lions, scientifically known as Panthera leo spelaea, are considered as “subspecies of the modern lion” (Brakefield, 1993, p. 55). Its biology and evolutionary origins shall be discussed here. The Discovery The history of the Panthera leo spelaea can be traced back to the discovery of the organic remains of the creature in the caves around Europe and Asia, with greater prevalence in the first, specifically “from eastern Britain to Siberia” (Mitra, 2005, p. 42). First sight made paleologists and historians believe that the remains were that of the tigers’ or jaguars’; assumptions which were later contradicted by results of DNA analysis (Hancock, 2009). According to these, the fossils were the remains of lions with existence which ended almost 13, 000 years ago. Archeologists also found paintings and carved figurines that could manifest the roles of these animals in the daily living of the ancient humans. Hancock (2009) even further reported that in accordance with the images in these artifacts, these ancient humans “may even have been worshipped” these large animals. The common name “cave lion,” on the other hand, does not bear any implication on caves being the habitat of these creatures. Instead, the name had been derived from where these creatures were discovered; hence, the name cave lions. Theories suggest that these bones were of those that attempted to make prey the cave bears which failed, and died instead. The Physical Characteristics Belonging to Felidae family of mammals, Panthera leo spelaea (P. l. spelaea) or the cave lions were larger than the modern lions for about 25 percent (Brakefield, 1993, p. 56). However, few sources say that this specie was only about five to ten percent larger than the present-day African lions, the most frequently-occurring specie of lions in the wild today (Patterson, 2004, p. 105; “Cave lion,” n.d.a). Like the common lions, P. l. spelaea has a muscular body -- only bigger and heavier -- which makes them one of the largest specie of lions ever existed. Compared to the African lion (male) which has the average measures of “2.4-2.8 m (7ft 11 in-9 ft) overall including the tail, stands 91-97 cm (36-38 in) at the shoulder and weighs 150-189 kg (331-417 lb)” (Carwardine, 2008, p. 41), the cave lions had an average 3.5 m in length and weight of about 400 kg (Henskens Fossils & Straaten, n.d.). They are covered with coat almost like the majority of the lion’s species from the past to the present. Yet, the appearance of variants of white or dark-coated lions have had also been recorded over the years (Stoffel, n.d.). Nevertheless, evidences (e.g., cave paintings, figurines and other artifacts) show that cave lions had faint stripes in their bodies which caused the first discoverers to have assumed tiger-like resemblance prior to the DNA analysis (“Cave Lion” [Carnivora] n.d.a; “Cave Lion” [Fossil-treasures], n.d.b). Finally, the most prominent characteristic that separates P. l. spelaea from the modern-era lions is its skull size. Of the two available skulls laid down for comparison (please see Figure 1 in Appendix), with one from the modern African lion (below) and the other from the P. l. spelaea (above), there is no doubt that the skull of the P. l. spelaea is bigger than that of modern lion’s skull (Macdonald & Loveridge, 2010, p. 604). Whether this difference has been influenced by time as the two obviously existed in different eras, further researches are still to be done. The Evolution Available literature agrees that the Eurasian cave lions are the “oldest true lions” that started the lineage of these species of cats or the Felids family (Brakefield, 1993, p. 55), with existence dating back to more or less half a million years ago. As what has been stated, the first packs of the specie were the giant ones, with sizes and weights reaching up to 25% more that of the present lions seen in the wild. The findings on the other hand, saying that cave lions only actually measure five to ten percent bigger than the present lions are true. In fact, it is proposed that from the enormous size of 25% more, the more recent groups of cave lions decreased in size “until it was only 8 to 10 percent larger than the current lion” (Brakefield, 1993, p. 55). This change, as emphasized by Brakefield (1993), was a result of evolution through the Pleistocene age. While they have decreased in measure as compared to the first batch, they were still gigantic than the normal. This is theorized to be an adaptation to the Pleistocene era as their preys were usually mammoths, mastodons, woolly rhinos, various bison, musk oxen and giant deers which are apparently large for the kill (Patterson, 2004, p. 106). The climate is also a contributing factor to this. Nevertheless, archeologists believe that these group of extinct and primitive lions have been lesser social than the more recent breeds. This is due to the relatively small brain despite its bigger size. According to studies, the smaller brain was a result of the skull’s massive structure; consequently, little room is left for the brain. Modern-day lions, on the contrary, have greater tendencies to form social circles with the others. Basis on such claims regarding the “relationship... between brain size and the amount of sociality in carnivores” have already been documented (Brakefield, 1993, p. 55). The Extinction In its existence for a span of the ten to a hundred thousand of years ago, cave lions lived through Pleistocene epoch with characteristics that would suit to the demands of the time: they are large, and have all the capacity to survive. This is why the exact reason of the extinction of the specie has always been a question to the scientists (Hancock, 2009). However, Dr. Ross Barnett, head of the Oxford team that conducted the research on “the fossils and the other remains gathered from Germany to Siberia, and Alaska to Wyoming,” proposed two possible reasons for the extinction (Hancock, 2009). It is, according to him, either human-related or caused by climate change. While drastic climatic changes may have characterized the other probable cause for the extinction of these cave lions, the presence of carnivorous and nomadic humans at the time of their existence may have resulted to hunting activities against the lions’ preys or the lions themselves for food consumption. Nonetheless, further investigations are to be initiated to form basis and certainty to these theories. Conclusion The cave lions have many characteristics that can tell us its resemblance to the common and modern-day lion. What makes them unique, according to substantial organic and archeological proofs, is their gigantic size and extinction. Despite that, knowing the biology and evolutionary origins of the cave lions like what has been done in the paper allows further understanding on how circumstances (e.g., climate, humans and their activities, etc.) can affect the existence of some species. References Brakefield, T. (1993). Big cats: kingdom of might. St. Paul, MN: Voyaguer Press. Cave lion - Panthera leo spelaea. (n.d.a). Retrieved from http://www.carnivoraforum.com/index.cgi? board=dinosaur&action=print&thread=6263 Cave lion Panthera leo spelaea. (n.d.b). Retrieved from http://www.fossil-treasures-of-florida.com/cave-lion.html Carwardine, M. (2008). Natural history museum: animal records. New York, NY: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. Hancock, N. (2009, April 1). ‘Supersize’ lions roamed Britain. Retrieved from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/oxfordshire/7974948.stm Henskens Fossils, & Straaten, J. V. (n.d.). The Pleistocene era. Retrieved from http://www.henskensfossils.nl/fossil%20info.htm Macdonald, D. W., & Loveridge, A. J. (2010). Biology and conservation of wild Felids. Oxford, NY: Oxford U P. Mitra, S. (2005). Gir forest and the saga of the Asiatic Lion. New Delhi, India: Indus Publishing Co. Patterson, B. D. (2004). The lions of Tsavo: exploring the legacy of Africa’s notorious man-eaters. USA: McGraw-Hill. Stoffel, T. (n.d.). Lion facts. Retrieved from http://www.lionlamb.us/lion/lionfact.html Appendix Figure 1. Panthera leo spelaea (above) and modern lion skull (below). Read More