Research overview: cave lion population structure and genetic lineages

This overview examines studies of genetic diversity and population structure within the cave lion, based on ancient DNA from specimens spanning the species' range and time depth. Such analyses have revealed multiple mitochondrial lineages and evidence for an early origin and long persistence of distinct cave lion populations, alongside signs of declining diversity toward the end of the Pleistocene. The survey reviews how palaeogenetic sampling reconstructs the demographic history of Panthera spelaea, including possible regional isolation and connectivity across Eurasia and Beringia, and how these patterns relate to climate change and the eventual extinction of the lineage. It discusses why understanding intraspecific structure, not just species-level relationships, is essential for explaining the rise and fall of the Ice Age cave lion.