{"title":"Revisiting Panthera leo sinhaleyus: Morphological insights and evolutionary implications from the holotype specimen from Sri Lanka","authors":"Kalangi Rodrigo , Wijerathne Bohingamuwa","doi":"10.1016/j.annpal.2025.102872","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The evolutionary history of lions (<em>Panthera leo</em>) reveals a dynamic trajectory shaped by environmental shifts, geographic dispersal, and adaptations to prey availability. Fossil evidence, spanning over a million years, underscores their origins, range expansions, and eventual divergence into various subspecies, including modern lions. This study provides a comparative analysis of lion species, with a focus on the extinct <em>Panthera leo sinhaleyus</em>, through an examination of dental morphological traits — specifically crown height and crown breadth. <em>Panthera leo sinhaleyus</em>, discovered in 1938 at Kuruvita, in the Rathnapura district, Sri Lanka, is known from the holotype specimen (i.e., a left lower carnassial). This specimen was found in association with extinct fauna assigned to the Late Pleistocene. Since its discovery, there has been limited research addressing its chronological and taxonomic range in relation to contemporary lion species, from around Asia, Africa and Europe. Our statistical analyses reveal that <em>Panthera leo sinhaleyus</em> exhibits distinct intermediate dental characteristics. Its crown height (29<!--> <!-->mm) surpasses that of the modern <em>Panthera leo</em> (26.9<!--> <!-->mm on average) but remains smaller than that of the Middle Pleistocene lion <em>Panthera spelaea</em> (32.36<!--> <!-->mm). Similarly, its crown breadth (14.5<!--> <!-->mm) is broader than many subspecies of <em>Panthera leo</em> yet narrower than <em>Panthera spelaea</em> (18.19<!--> <!-->mm). These findings suggest that <em>Panthera leo sinhaleyus</em> exhibits adaptations potentially reflective of its environment in Pleistocene Sri Lanka, indicating a distinct ecological niche and evolutionary trajectory. This study underscores the need for further investigation into the chronological and taxonomic placement of <em>Panthera leo sinhaleyus</em>, contributing to a broader understanding of morphological diversity and evolutionary pathways among prehistoric lion species.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50780,"journal":{"name":"Annales de Paleontologie","volume":"111 3","pages":"Article 102872"},"PeriodicalIF":0.7000,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Annales de Paleontologie","FirstCategoryId":"89","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0753396925001193","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q4","JCRName":"PALEONTOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
The evolutionary history of lions (Panthera leo) reveals a dynamic trajectory shaped by environmental shifts, geographic dispersal, and adaptations to prey availability. Fossil evidence, spanning over a million years, underscores their origins, range expansions, and eventual divergence into various subspecies, including modern lions. This study provides a comparative analysis of lion species, with a focus on the extinct Panthera leo sinhaleyus, through an examination of dental morphological traits — specifically crown height and crown breadth. Panthera leo sinhaleyus, discovered in 1938 at Kuruvita, in the Rathnapura district, Sri Lanka, is known from the holotype specimen (i.e., a left lower carnassial). This specimen was found in association with extinct fauna assigned to the Late Pleistocene. Since its discovery, there has been limited research addressing its chronological and taxonomic range in relation to contemporary lion species, from around Asia, Africa and Europe. Our statistical analyses reveal that Panthera leo sinhaleyus exhibits distinct intermediate dental characteristics. Its crown height (29 mm) surpasses that of the modern Panthera leo (26.9 mm on average) but remains smaller than that of the Middle Pleistocene lion Panthera spelaea (32.36 mm). Similarly, its crown breadth (14.5 mm) is broader than many subspecies of Panthera leo yet narrower than Panthera spelaea (18.19 mm). These findings suggest that Panthera leo sinhaleyus exhibits adaptations potentially reflective of its environment in Pleistocene Sri Lanka, indicating a distinct ecological niche and evolutionary trajectory. This study underscores the need for further investigation into the chronological and taxonomic placement of Panthera leo sinhaleyus, contributing to a broader understanding of morphological diversity and evolutionary pathways among prehistoric lion species.
期刊介绍:
Créées par Marcellin Boule en 1905, les Annales de Paléontologie publient 4 numéros par an traitant des fossiles animaux et végétaux, dans tous les domaines de la paléontologie incluant :
-La Paléoanatomie-
La Paléohistologie-
La Morphologie fonctionnelle-
La Systématique-
L''Évolution-
La Paléoécologie
... et toute les contributions susceptibles d''améliorer la compréhension des organismes et des environnements éteints.