What did lions evolve from?
Where did the lion come from? Lions, and all members of the cat family, are believed to be descended from a common ancestor, called Proailurus Lemanensis which means simply 'first cat', a cat-like creature that stalked the Earth 25 million years ago.
Genetic studies suggest that the lion evolved in eastern and southern Africa, diversifying into a number of subspecies—such as the Barbary lion (Panthera leo leo) of North Africa, the cave lion (P. leo spelaea) of Europe, the American lion (P. leo atrox) of North and Central America, and the Asiatic lion (P. leo ...
The lineages leading to extant lions and atrox/spelaea were thought to have diverged about 1.9 million years ago, before a whole genome-wide sequence of lions from Africa and Asia by Marc de Manuel et al. showed that the lineage of the cave lion diverged from that of the modern lion around 392,000 – 529,000 years ago.
The Barbary Lion, Cape Lion, Eurasian Cave Lion, and American Cave Lion are all extinct lions. Their species' populations met their ends at different points in history, ranging from 12,000 years ago to as recently as 1922.
American lions roamed across North America for thousands of years. However, around 10,000 years ago, they went extinct, alongside many other ice age animals. The exact reasons are unknown. Their demise may have been due to human actions, climate change, or both.
Because they lived millions of years apart, there is no evidence that modern-day lions or any other species of big cats ever encountered dinosaurs. At the end of the Cretaceous period, about 66 million years ago, dinosaurs went extinct.
The modern lion (Panthera leo) is believed to have evolved in Africa around 1.2 million years ago. The earliest known lion fossils date back to the Pleistocene era, which began around 2.6 million years ago and lasted until about 11,700 years ago.
"These ancient lions were like a super-sized version of today's lions, up to 25 percent bigger," study co-author Ross Barnett, a researcher at the Ancient Biomolecules Centre at the University of Oxford's department of zoology, said in a statement.
At the current rate of habitat loss and poaching, African lions could be completely extinct by 2050.
A pride of Asiatic lions – the world's rarest lion species – have taken their first steps into a specially-created new home at Chester Zoo.
Did ancient Egypt have lions?
Lions were abundant in Egypt in both the prehistoric and historic periods, found roaming the semi-desert regions on either side of the Nile Valley. They began to disappear during the New Kingdom (c. 1550-1070 B.C.) and eventually became extinct in Egypt.
Barbary lions were once native to North Africa, including the Atlas Mountains but are now extinct in the wild. The last recorded Barbary lion was shot in Morocco in 1942.
From Persia to Rome, the lion was a symbol of the sun god Mithra, whilst the Etruscan lion with wings stands at the entrance of the Temple Mountain at Troy. In Islam, Muhammad's son-in-law and cousin was known as the Lion of God, whilst a lion-headed angel is one of four beings that supports Allah's throne.
A pride of African lions would likely struggle to survive in the American wilderness. African lions are adapted to the specific ecosystem and prey found in Africa, and the American wilderness has different environmental conditions and prey species.
Lions, for instance, were once found around the world. After evolving in eastern Africa, the big cats padded through Europe and Asia and eventually crossed into North America by way of Beringia, a now-sunken continent that once connected Siberia to Alaska and Yukon.
The mountain lion (Puma concolor), also commonly known as the cougar, puma, or catamount, are members of Felidae—the cat family. Surprisingly, they are more closely related to smaller felines, including the domestic cat than to any subspecies of lion (O'Brien & Johnson 2007).
Oldest living creature on Earth identified, emerging 700 million years ago. Scientists have announced that the oldest living creature on our planet is a jellyfish-like organism called a ctenophore.
The closest living relatives of ALL dinosaurs are the crocodilians (crocodiles, alligators, gharials).
Before the dinosaurs, the dominant forms of life on land and sea were the synapsids — a group also known as “proto-mammals.” Learn about some of the strangest and most ferocious synapsids and how these unusual creatures evolved into mammals like us.
The arrival of early human populations in North America likely had a significant impact on the environment and the availability of prey for large carnivores, which may have contributed to the extinction of the American lion and other megafauna species.
What did lions evolve from cats?
Cats, including lions and tigers, have a common ancestor but did not directly evolve from one another. Instead, they share a common evolutionary lineage that dates back millions of years. Evolution does not result in one species completely replacing another; rather, it leads to the diversification of species.
In the wild, when lionesses get too old to hunt or give birth, they often take on roles within the pride that are less physically demanding. They may contribute by using their experience to help teach younger lions hunting techniques, or they may provide protection for the pride's territory.
The domestic cat was not the only powerful feline in ancient Egypt – we also see the presence of big cats such as lions, leopards and cheetahs. Lions were often linked to royalty, as a symbol of kingship. Their grand appearance, strength and ferocity were surely qualities that the Pharaoh would want to emulate.
Scientists in Kenya have found fossil evidence that lions were once much more terrifying than they are today. Skull remains have revealed that lions which resided in east Africa 200,000 years ago were enormous creatures that stood as tall as humans.
100 years ago, the lion population was approximately 200,000. Now it is estimated as less than 23,000.
