The cave lion Panthera (Leo) spelaea and its evolution: Panthera spelaea intermedia nov. subspecies

Argant, Alain; Brugal, Jean‐Philip

doi:10.3409/azc.60_2.59

Cited by 15 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…According to Marciszak and Stefaniak (2010), the replacement occurred around MIS 7-5e. However, fossil specimens of lions belonging to MIS 9-6 present intermediate characteristics (Marciszak et al 2014;Argant and Brugal 2017). Argant and Brugal (2017) identify the fossil record from Igue-de-Rameaux (MIS 9-7) as P. l. intermedia.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 89%

“…However, fossil specimens of lions belonging to MIS 9-6 present intermediate characteristics (Marciszak et al 2014;Argant and Brugal 2017). Argant and Brugal (2017) identify the fossil record from Igue-de-Rameaux (MIS 9-7) as P. l. intermedia. Nevertheless, as indicated by European regional differences, the replacement probably occurred during a different span of time.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 89%

“…P. fossilis is also distinguishable from P. spelaea in the following m1 characters: wider m1 crown (Schütt and Hemmer 1978;Ballesio 1980); higher and sharper protoconid and rounded robust lower portion of the paraconid (Thenius 1972); mesially oriented protoconid edge (Fig. 5; Hankó, 2007); more developed posterior talonid in m1 (Schütt 1969;Schütt and Hemmer 1978;Argant et al 2007;Hankó 2007;Argant and Brugal 2017); presence of mediolingual protuberance or bulge at the base of the crown (Schütt 1969;Schütt and Hemmer 1978;Hankó 2007;Argant and Brugal 2017;Marciszak et al 2021); presence of zig-zag enamel structures (Schütt and Hemmer 1978;Barycka 2008); and well-developed abrupt curve of the enamel, on the buccal side, in occlusal direction, that rises below the protoconid and produces a convex shape margin of the whole m1 (Hankó 2007). Lastly, as a consequence of a wider m1 crown, the teeth have a higher B/T ratio (Schütt 1969;Hemmer and Schütt, 1970;Schütt and Hemmer 1978;Ballesio, 1980); according to Marciszak and Stefaniak (2010), this ratio has an average value of 0.54 for P. fossilis (range from 0.47-0.58) and 0.5 for P. spelaea (range from 0.36-0.57).…”

Section: Morphological Comparisons With Middle and Late Pleistocene L...mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Middle Pleistocene Steppe Lion Remains from Grotte de la Carrière (Têt Valley, Eastern Pyrenees)

et al. 2022

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Late Pleistocene cave lions are one of the most iconic species of Northern Hemisphere Quaternary taphocoenoses. Despite their often-scarce record in cave environments, their ubiquitous distribution across Eurasia and North America assemblages attests to their position as top ice-age predators. Nevertheless, the origins of these former large felids, their distribution during the Middle Pleistocene, and their paleoecology during co-existence with the scimitar-toothed cat Homotherium remain debated. Here we describe for the first time an abundant collection of large-sized and stout felid remains from the recently discovered site of Grotte de la Carrière in Eastern Pyrenees, with an estimated age corresponding to MIS 9. Our results highlight the larger size of Middle Pleistocene lions compared to Late Pleistocene ones as well as a trend of decreasing in size, which has been previously stated by other authors. Grotte de la Carrière steppe lions have similar morphological and biometrical parameters to those of other samples from MIS 11–9, being larger and stouter than younger latest Middle Pleistocene-Late Pleistocene forms and slightly smaller than older MIS 15–12 forms.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 89%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 89%

Section: Morphological Comparisons With Middle and Late Pleistocene L...mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Middle Pleistocene Steppe Lion Remains from Grotte de la Carrière (Têt Valley, Eastern Pyrenees)

et al. 2022

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“…Microfauna studies show differences between the paleoenvironment of the two parts of the Igue des Rameaux [48]. For the Aval ensemble, which is a bit more recent than that of the Amont [25,38], the climate must have been temperate-cool, with more precipitation but less snow cover than in the Amont ensemble, and the forest cover was quite significant (25% of the vegetal composition). For the Amont ensemble, the climate was semi-continental and the steppe more significant.…”

Section: Paleoenvironmental Parameters Of the Study Sitesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Middle Pleistocene Variations in the Diet of Equus in the South of France and Its Morphometric Adaptations to Local Environments

Uzunidis

2021

Quaternary

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Equus is a very sensitive genus which has expanded over a large area and lived in Europe despite the climatic instability of the Pleistocene. Its persistence and abundance are helpful in understanding and describing environmental and climatic regional parameters. In this study, we present the result of dental mesowear and microwear analysis and post-cranial skeleton biometry on Equus populations located in two regions in the South of France from ten sites, corresponding to twelve assemblages dated from MIS 12 to MIS 5. The areas refer to two major climatic zones: the oceanic or subcontinental climate for the South West of France, and the Mediterranean for the South East. The first objective of this study is to integrate and compare biometric data, dental wear, and other already-published environmental proxies. The goal is to discuss the validity of horse body shape adaptations on a small geographical scale. The second objective is to describe the impact of environmental features on the horse population through time in the two regions. We observe that the Equus diet was quite diverse, according to microwear analysis which shows adaptations according to seasonal variations. However, they remained mostly grazers over a long period of time. Estimated body mass of Equus in the localities studied here varies from a mean of 468 up to a mean of 570 kg, but these variations failed to be correlated with the diet, the climatic period, or the geographical position of the horse population, probably because of the sample size or the restricted time-span or geographical scale. However, the conformation of the metapodials and the width of the third phalanges may have been linked with environmental and behavioural parameters. The width of the third phalange may be correlated with the recurrence of the snow cover, while the robustness of the metapodial co-occurs with a humid climate. Also, diet may influence the conformation of the bones, since the tall and slender horses seem to be preferentially grazers all year long and seasonally browser horses are tall and robust. Seasonally mixed-feeder horses, all coming from the Mediterranean area, were found to be smaller, perhaps in relation to a less productive environment. The correspondence of the dietary and morphometrical data could suggest high pressure on the horse population, which caused rapid body adaptation. Thus, the combination of these different proxies allows us to suggest more accurate large mammal paleoenvironmental reconstructions.

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“…The ancestors of cave lions diverged from African lions prior to 600 ka (cf. Argant & Brugal, 2017;Burger et al, 2004), precluding their experiencing the increased dangerousness of carcass competition with archaic and modern humans in Africa.…”

Section: Cave Lion Portrayals In the Early Upper Paleolithicmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Influence of Image Salience on the Artistic Renditions of Cave Lions in the Early Upper Paleolithic

Coss

2020

Evolutionary Perspectives on Imaginative Culture

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The heuristic aim in this chapter is evaluating the neurobiological and behavioral evidence suggesting that humans retain ecologically relevant elements of felidpredator recognition shaped by natural selection that could influence the portrayals of large-bodied cats in prehistoric art. Emphasis will be given to identifying the salient visual properties of extinct cave lions (Panthera spelaea) that likely influenced the anatomical accuracy of their renditions in cave drawings and mobiliary figurines in the early Upper Paleolithic of Europe.Visual-image salience emerges primarily from the ecological context in which it is perceived. Such distinctiveness requires the perception of difference between the target of visual fixation and the surrounding features (cf. Nothdurft, 2007;Simons, 2000). This figure-background contrast applies to both the lowest level of neural organization and the highest level of perceptual organization that shapes the interaction of the organism with its environment. However, perceptual contrast alone does not account for why some images "pop out" from background settings. When viewed from the perspective of perceivers, image salience can be magnified by its meaningfulness in a particular setting that can reflect innate perceptual properties coupled with a history of prior exposure of its predictive properties in ecologically relevant circumstances. I will explore this conceptual framework of perceived context as I develop my argument for how salient visual features of dangerous felids influenced visual imagery, working memory, and artistic expression.

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The cave lion Panthera (Leo) spelaea and its evolution: Panthera spelaea intermedia nov. subspecies

Cited by 15 publications

References 17 publications

Middle Pleistocene Steppe Lion Remains from Grotte de la Carrière (Têt Valley, Eastern Pyrenees)

Middle Pleistocene Steppe Lion Remains from Grotte de la Carrière (Têt Valley, Eastern Pyrenees)

Middle Pleistocene Variations in the Diet of Equus in the South of France and Its Morphometric Adaptations to Local Environments

The Influence of Image Salience on the Artistic Renditions of Cave Lions in the Early Upper Paleolithic

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