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Scientifically known as Panthera spelaea. The cave lion is an extinct species of big cat that lived prior to the neolithic period. During the pleistocene epoch, roughly between 370,000, and when it became extinct around 13,000 years ago (1).

Cave lions probably only infrequently used caves, and were present in regions where caves were absent
Bones in caves have been attributed to confrontations between cave hyenas and cave lions. (2)

Biology:
When found in 1810, Felis spelaea was the scientific name used by Georg August Goldfuss. He had excavated and found a fossil of the cave lions skull, from a cave in southern Germany.

The cave lion is often considered a subspecies, or closely related to the modern lion (panthera leo)
It is closely related to other prehistoric lions, such as the American lion (panthera atrox).

It’s believed they had a shoulder height of around 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in). There head-body length was 2 m (6 ft 7 in), without the tail.

In the late pleistocene they became noticeably smaller, though still large relative to living cats
The heaviest late Pleistocene panthera spelaea was estimated to weigh 339 kg (747 lb). Similar in size to large modern lions.

Adapted to cold climates. Their bodies were more robust
Using preserved bone and remains evidence. It has been indicated, they had shorter, and stockier legs. With a coat of yellowish fur. They also appeared to have lacked manes. Compared to modern lions.

They inhabited large parts of Europe, Asia, and possibly north America
Their range included cold steppe and tundra regions. As evidenced by their adaptations to cold climates.

Colligen analysis has shown cave bear cubs, reindeer and other cervids (deer) were prominent in the diet
They would have also preyed on giant deer; wild horse; muskox; aurochs; wisent; steppe bison; and, young woolly rhino, and young woolly mammoth(3). It likely they competed for prey with the European ice age leopard, cave hyenas, brown bears and grey wolves in Eurasia. And, short-faced bears, homotherium (scimitar), and Beringian wolves in Beringia. Evidence from cave paintings and fossil remains suggests they were apex predators in their ecosystems(4). It is unclear whether P. spelaea was social like the modern lion. Some evidence indicates that it may have been solitary.

Given the social hierarchy of modern lions, Some authors have also argued against the absence of manes (5)

It went extinct possibly due to a combination of climate change and human activities
The end of the last ice age, led to changes in habitat and prey availability. And, it contributing to their decline.

Indicating importance to early human cultures, cave lions are depicted in prehistoric cave paintings, carvings; and, art
These depictions provide valuable insights into their appearance and behavior. A drawing in the Chauvet cave depicts two cave lions walking together. There are also drawings at Lascaux. Including the chamber of felines. Both in France, and have been dated to 15-17k year ago (6).

Did you know? Mummified remains of panther spelaea have been found (7)

The cave lion remains, continues to be a subject of interest for paleontologists and researchers studying pleistocene fauna. Including the interactions between ancient humans and past environments. Let’s hear it for a top predator; the cave, or step lion, rather spelaea!

Cite: 1) Stuart, A. J. & Lister, A. M. (2011). “Extinction chronology of the cave lion Panthera spelaea”. Quaternary Science Reviews. 30 (17): 2329–2340. Bibcode:2011QSRv…30.2329S (https://ui.adsa bs.harvard.edu/abs/2011QSRv…30.2329S). doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2010.04.023 (https://doi.org/1 0.1016%2Fj.quascirev.2010.04.023)

2) Diedrich, C.G. & ŽÁK, K. 2006. Prey deposits and den sites of the Upper Pleistocene hyena Crocuta crocuta spelaea (Goldfuss, 1823) in horizontal and vertical caves of the Bohemian Karst (Czech Republic) (http://www.geology.cz/bulletin/fulltext/bullgeosci200604237.pdf). Bulletin of Geosciences 81(4), 237–276 (25 figures). Czech Geological Survey, Prague. ISSN 1214-1119

3) Diedrich, C. G. (2013). “Late Pleistocene leopards across Europe – northernmost European German population, highest elevated records in the Swiss Alps, complete skeletons in the Bosnia Herzegowina Dinarids and comparison to the Ice Age cave art”. Quaternary Science Reviews. 76: 167–193. Bibcode:2013QSRv…76..167D (https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2013QSRv…76..167 D). doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2013.05.009 (https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.quascirev.2013.05.009).

4) Boeskorov, G. G.; Plotnikov, V. V.; Protopopov, A. V.; Baryshnikov, G. F.; Fosse, P.; Dalén, L.; David, S. W. G.; Pavlov, I. S.; Naoki, S. & Alexey, N. T. (2021). “The preliminary analysis of Cave Lion cubs Panthera spelaea (Goldfuss, 1810) from the permafrost of Siberia” (https://doi.org/10.33 90%2Fquat4030024). Quaternary. 4 (3): 24. Bibcode:2021Quat….4…24B (https://ui.adsabs.harvar d.edu/abs/2021Quat….4…24B). doi:10.3390/quat4030024 (https://doi.org/10.3390%2Fquat40300 24).

5) Bocherens, H. (2015). “Isotopic tracking of large carnivore palaeoecology in the mammoth steppe”. Quaternary Science Reviews. 117: 42–71. Bibcode:2015QSRv..117…42B (https://ui.adsa bs.harvard.edu/abs/2015QSRv..117…42B). doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2015.03.018 (https://doi.org/1 0.1016%2Fj.quascirev.2015.03.018).

6) Chauvet, J.-M.; Brunel, D. E. & Hillaire, C. (1996). Dawn of Art: The Chauvet Cave. The oldest known paintings in the world (https://archive.org/details/dawnofartchauvet0000chau). New York: Harry N. Abrams. 32. Leroi-Gourhan, A.; Allain, J. (1979). Lascaux inconnu. XXIIe supplement à “Gallia Préhistoire”. Paris.

7) Boeskorov, G. G.; Plotnikov, V. V.; Protopopov, A. V.; Baryshnikov, G. F.; Fosse, P.; Dalén, L.; David, S. W. G.; Pavlov, I. S.; Naoki, S. & Alexey, N. T. (2021). “The preliminary analysis of Cave Lion cubs Panthera spelaea (Goldfuss, 1810) from the permafrost of Siberia” (https://doi.org/10.33 90%2Fquat4030024). Quaternary. 4 (3): 24. Bibcode:2021Quat….4…24B (https://ui.adsabs.harvar d.edu/abs/2021Quat….4…24B). doi:10.3390/quat4030024 (https://doi.org/10.3390%2Fquat40300 24).

Bibliography: Goldfuss, G. A. (1810). Die Umgebungen von Muggensdorf. Erlangen: Johann Jakob Palm.

Stuart, A. J. & Lister, A. M. (2011). “Extinction chronology of the cave lion Panthera spelaea”. Quaternary Science Reviews. 30 (17): 2329–2340. Bibcode:2011QSRv…30.2329S. doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2010.04.023.

Diedrich, C. G. (2014). “Palaeopopulations of Late Pleistocene Top Predators in Europe: Ice Age Spotted Hyenas and Steppe Lions in Battle and Competition about Prey”. Paleontology Journal. 2014: 1–34. doi:10.1155/2014/106203.