Panthera youngi

Panthera youngi Temporal range: Middle Pleistocene
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Family:	Felidae
Genus:	Panthera
Species:	P. youngi
Binomial name
Panthera youngi

Panthera youngi is known from Choukoutien, northeastern China and lived about 350,000 years ago in the Pleistocene epoch. Data reviewed in 1969 suggested that the American lion, the Eurasian cave lion and the large Chinese Panthera youngi are conspecific. However, some scientists are not so sure about P. youngi being a lion, and identify it as a primitive tiger or even a leopard.

References

• Harington, C. R. 1969. Pleistocene remains of the lion-like cat (Panthera atrox) from the Yukon Territory and northern Alaska. Canadian Journal Earth Sciences 6(5): 1277-1288.