National Museum of Natural Science

Order Carnivora, Family Felidae

Pleistocene (100,000 years before present)

Europe

Carnivore

Cave lions are considered the ancestors of modern lions and lived in northern Eurasia during the Pleistocene period. They mainly preyed on wild horses, camels, mammoth calves, and bison. Cave lions were much larger in size than modern lions. From cave paintings discovered at archaeological sites, it appears that cave lions hunted in groups rather than alone.

Panthera leo spelaea