Cave lion cub found in Siberian permafrost is 28,000 years old

Source: The Hindu

What is the News?

Scientists have found two perfectly frozen cave lion cubs which lived 28,000 years ago. The lion cubs were found in Siberia’s Permafrost in Russia and have been nicknamed Boris and Sparta.

About Cave Lion:

1. Cave Lions (Panthera spelaea) are also known as European cave lions and Eurasian cave lions. They are an ancient big cat species that have been extinct for thousands of years.
2. They belong to the genus of the prehistoric lions that originated during the Pleistocene epoch in what is now Europe.
3. Furthermore, they are thought to be one of the largest species of the lion to have ever lived. Scientists believe that cave lions were as much as 10% larger than modern lions.
4. Diet Behaviour: The Cave Lions were major predators, hunting ice age deer, bison, and other animals. These lions also were ambush predators, laying in wait and erupting out of the brush to tackle their prey with impressive speed, agility, and strength.
   • However, like all cats, the Cave Lion could only chase prey over a short distance.

Significance of these Findings:

1. Findings like these in Russia’s vast Siberian region have started happening more and more.
2. This is because climate change is warming the Arctic at a faster pace than the rest of the world and has defrosted the ground in some areas long locked in permafrost.