Thousands of years ago the planet Earth was inhabited different animals, which then became extinct for different reasons.Now these animals are often called fossil.Their remains are preserved in the form of bones and skulls found in archaeological excavations.The researchers then carefully collect all the bones together and are trying in this way to restore the appearance of the animal.In doing so, they help to cave paintings, and even a primitive sculptures left by the ancient people who lived at the same time.Today, scientists have come to the aid of computer graphics to recreate the image of the fossil animal.The cave lion - a type of ancient creatures, terrified the smaller brethren.Even primitive people tried to get round its habitat.
Fossil cave lion predator
It was thus discovered and described an ancient form of fossil predator which scientists have named the cave lion.The remains of the animal bones were found in Asia, Europe and North America.This suggests that the cave lion lived in the vast territory from Alaska to the British Isles.The name that received this kind, it was justified because it was found in the caves of most of its skeletal remains.But the caves were leaving only the wounded and dying animals.To live and hunt, they prefer open spaces.
History of discovery
first detailed description of the cave lion was made by the Russian zoologist and paleontologist Nikolai Kuzmich Vereshchagin.In his book, he elaborated on the tribal affiliation of the animal, its geographical distribution, habitat, feeding habits, breeding and other details.This book is called "The Cave Lion and its history in the Holarctic and in the USSR" written on the basis of many years of painstaking research and still is the best scientific work on the study of fossil animals.Galoarktikoy scientists call a significant part of the northern hemisphere.
Description animal
cave lion was very large predator, weighing up to 350 kg, height at withers 120-150 centimeters and a body length of up to 2.5 meters, excluding the tail.Powerful legs are relatively long, which makes tall predator animals.His coat is smooth and short, color - even, monochrome, gray sand, that helped him to disguise themselves during hunting.In winter pelage it was more lush and saved from the cold.Mane from cave lions were not, as evidenced by the cave paintings of primitive people.But the brush on the tail is present on many pictures.Ancient predator inspired our ancestors fear and panic.
cave lion's head was relatively large, powerful jaws.Tooth system resources predators externally looks the same as modern lions, but the teeth are still more massive.Two canines in the upper jaw hit my view: the length of each canine animal was 11-11.5 cm.The structure of the jaws and dentition clearly shows that the cave lion was a predator and could not cope with very large animals.
Habitats and hunting
on cave paintings often depicted as a group of cave lions pursues one victim.This suggests that prides predators lived and practiced collective hunting.Analysis of the remains of animal bones found in the cave habitat of lions, shows that they were attacking a deer, elk, bison, tours, yaks, musk oxen and other animals, who met in this particular area.Their prey can be young mammoths, camels, rhinos, hippos and cave bears.Scientists do not exclude the possibility of attacks by predators and adult mammoths, but only under favorable conditions for this.Especially in the primitive man cave lion hunted.A person could be a victim of a predator when the beast went to the shelter, where people lived.Usually in caves were collected only sick or old individuals.Alone man could not cope with a predator, but the collective defense with the use of fire could save people, or some of them.These extinct lions were strong, but it did not save them from certain death.
Possible causes extinction
mass destruction and the extinction of cave lions occurred at the end of the period, which scientists call the Late Pleistocene.This period ended about 10 thousand years ago.Before the end of the Pleistocene and became extinct mammoths and other animals, which are now referred to as resources.The reasons for the extinction of cave lions are considered:
- climate change;
- transform the landscape;
- activity of primitive man.
climatic and landscape changes violated the familiar surroundings themselves lions and animals on which they feed.There were broken food chain, which led to the mass extinction of the herbivorous animals, deprived of necessary food, and after them became extinct predators.
man as the cause of the mass death of fossil animals for a long time did not considered.But many scientists point out that primitive people are constantly developed and improved.New types of weapons, hunting, improved hunting techniques.Man was himself eating herbivores and predators have learned to resist.This could lead to the extermination of fossil animals, including cave lion.Now you know what animals have become extinct as the development of human civilization.
Given the devastating impact of man on nature, primitive version of the involvement of people in the disappearance of cave lions, today no longer seems fantastic.
