Phylogeography of lions (Panthera leo ssp.) reveals three distinct taxa and a late Pleistocene reduction in genetic diversity

This study used ancient and modern DNA to reconstruct the evolutionary relationships and population history of lions, including the extinct American lion and Eurasian cave lion. The genetic data resolved the lion group into distinct lineages and clarified how the cave lion, Panthera spelaea, and the American lion, Panthera atrox, relate to living African and Asian lions. The results indicated that the cave and American lions formed a lineage separate from modern lions, supporting their recognition as distinct taxa, and documented a marked reduction in lion genetic diversity during the late Pleistocene. The work was a landmark application of palaeogenetics to the lion radiation, settling longstanding questions about the affinities of the great extinct cats of the Ice Age.