History Made Every Day™

Name: Panthera

Pronounced: Pan-thera

Description:
Panthera atrox, the North American lion of the Pleistocene Era, weighed in at about 700 to 800 pounds, stood five feet tall, and measured 11.5 feet long; it was about 25 percent larger than the modern African lion. It was probably plain-colored, not spotted, and lacked the mane common to modern male lions (although some may have had small manes). Panthera had long legs, five retractable claws on each of its four feet and powerful teeth and jaws, with a bite force of more than 1,800 pounds per square inch.

Fighting Style:
Panthera's long legs were nonetheless not designed for long distance chase, and its strategy for stalking its prey was to use cover and camouflage to get close enough to attack successfully. Once it got close, the lion would run in and use its powerful jaws to subdue its prey. It would also rely on its speed and quick reflexes to outmaneuver larger opponents, such as the giant bear.

Home Turf: North America

When It Lived: Late Pleistocene Era (10,000 years ago)

What's For Dinner?:
Evidence shows that Panthera was (like Arctodus, the giant bear) an apex predator, at the top of the food chain in its habitat. It probably fought with Arctodus for food (such as bison, wild horses and other smaller animals) and for ultimate dominance of its range, in the harsh, rapidly changing climate of the Late Pleistocene era.

Did You Know?:
Though paleontologists have recovered several well-preserved specimens of Panthera from the tar pits at Rancho La Brea in Los Angeles, they were far less abundant than those of Smilodon fatalis, the saber-toothed cat. This relative shortage suggests that Panthera was probably more intelligent and thus able to avoid the tar traps that took the lives of so many Ice Age animals.