Which extinct big cat is known as the American lion?

The extinct big cat known as the American lion was Panthera atrox. Also called the North American lion, it lived across much of North America during the Late Pleistocene, roughly 129,000 to 13,100 years ago.

Panthera atrox was a member of the pantherine cat group, which includes lions, tigers, leopards, and jaguars. Genetic evidence indicates that its closest living relative is the modern lion, while its lineage was associated with the Eurasian cave lion, Panthera spelaea. Its scientific name means “savage” or “cruel.”

Fossils show that it was a formidable predator. Some estimates place large males above 400 kilograms, making the American lion one of the largest known members of the genus Panthera. More than 80 individuals have been recovered from the La Brea Tar Pits in California, providing unusually detailed evidence of its anatomy.

A common mix-up is Panthera onca, the scientific name of the living jaguar. Although some South American fossil cats have been debated as either American lions or jaguars, Panthera atrox is the standard answer to this question.