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2w ago

Genomes Show Cave Lion Was a Distinct Species Split More Than a Million Years Ago

A time-series of 12 cave-lion genomes links brief, climate-driven interbreeding with modern lions to glacial pulses and finds a rapid end‑Pleistocene collapse despite large late populations.

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The remains of a frozen female cave lion cub named Sparta, about 32,000 years old and recovered in northeastern Siberia, are pictured in Yakutsk, Russia, in this photograph from 2018, obtained on June 3, 2026. Love Dalen/Handout via REUTERS. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES. THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY
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Overview

  • A study published Tuesday in the journal Cell sequenced 12 complete cave-lion genomes and compared them with about 20 modern lion genomes to build a dated record of the species’ history.
  • Genomic analyses indicate cave lions (Panthera spelaea) separated from modern lions more than one million years ago, forming a long‑running, evolutionarily distinct lineage.
  • Researchers found repeated, short episodes of interbreeding tied to cold glacial intervals, with modern‑lion ancestry in cave lions rising during those colder phases.
  • The team identified cave‑lion‑specific mutations concentrated in genes for brain function, vision, growth, and circulation, suggesting candidate adaptations to Pleistocene cold and seasonal environments.
  • Demographic reconstructions show cave-lion populations were sizeable shortly before a rapid, range‑wide extinction about 13,000–14,000 years ago, implying prey loss and ecological change rather than long‑term genetic decline caused the die‑off.