American Lion
Panthera atrox
🦁
Chordata
Mammalia
Carnivora
Feloidea
Felidae
Panthera
Panthera atrox
The American Lion — Panthera atrox was the largest cat to ever roam North America, a colossal Ice Age predator that ruled the open plains and valleys of the Pleistocene. Closely related to the Eurasian Cave Lion (Panthera leo spelaea), it was a dominant apex predator that shared its range with dire wolves, short-faced bears, and saber-toothed cats.
Description
American Lion (Panthera atrox) — This extinct lion-like cat lived across North America from southern Alaska to Mexico during the late Pleistocene (approximately 340,000 to 11,000 years ago). Genetic studies suggest it diverged from Eurasian cave lions after crossing the Bering Land Bridge. It was larger and more robust than both its Eurasian relatives and modern lions, possibly standing as tall as a tiger but built for open-terrain hunting.
Fossil evidence, particularly from the La Brea Tar Pits in California, indicates it preyed on large herbivores such as bison, camels, horses, and even juvenile mammoths. Its adaptations for speed and strength made it an apex predator of Ice Age North America.
Quick Facts
Max Mass
Shoulder Height
Standing Height
Length
Diet
Trophic Level
210
1.2
1.8
2.5
kg
m
m
m
Hypercarnivore
Obligate Proteivore
Hunt History
There is little direct evidence of humans hunting Panthera atrox, but their paths crossed. Early Paleoindians of the Clovis culture (13,000 years ago) may have competed with or occasionally killed these large cats. The American Lion’s decline coincides with the end of the Pleistocene megafaunal extinction and the disappearance of its primary prey.
Earliest Archaeological Evidence of Human Interaction:
La Brea Tar Pits, California (~30,000–12,000 years ago): Thousands of fossilized bones, giving insight into the species’ size and prey selection.
Natural Trap Cave, Wyoming (~25,000 years ago): Well-preserved Panthera atrox remains found with other megafauna.
Lubbock Lake Site, Texas (~12,000 years ago): Fragmentary evidence suggesting overlap with early human activity.
Time & Range
Extinction Status
Globally Extinct
Extinction Date
Temporal Range
Region
11000
BP
Late Pleistocene
North America
Wiki Link
Fat Analysis
Fatness Profile:
Low
Fat %
3
Est. Renderable Fat
6.3
kg
Targeted Organs
Marrow, brain (low overall fat)
Adipose Depots
Minimal subcutaneous; marrow/brain
Preferred Cuts
Marrow
Hunt Difficulty (x/5)
4