Geographical, temporal variability and sexual size dimorphism of mandible in cave lion (Panthera spelaea) across Northern Eurasia

ABSTRACT

The mandible size variability including sexual size dimorphism (SSD) of the cave lion (Panthera spelaea) in the Pleistocene of Northern Eurasia time has been studied basing on the univariate and multivariate statistical analyses of 76 specimens from 43 localities. It has been confirmed that SSD in adult P. spelaea, as well as in extant P. leo, is the dominant form of group variability of mandible and, to somewhat lesser extent, of variability of cheek teeth. The lowest degree of SSD has been found in a relatively small Beringian subspecies, P. spelaea vereshchagini. The geographical variability of the cave lion from Western to Eastern Eurasia was not a cline at least in the Late Pleistocene. Our results confirm a decrease in overall mandible size from the Middle Pleistocene to the Late Pleistocene over a large part of the species’ range. We speculate that evolutionary changes in mandible size, lower canines or cheek teeth may have proceeded at different rates, allometry and probable heterochrony. Our results have added a new evidence to support the subspecies status of the Beringian lion (P. spelaea vereshchagini), but they are insufficient for other decisions on cave lion taxonomy at the subspecies level.

KEYWORDS:

• Panthera spelaea
• carnivora
• mandible
• sexual size dimorphism
• geographical variability
• temporal variability

Acknowledgments

We are obliged to E. Petrova, Y. Shemiakina, T. Kurazhova (St. Petersburg), M. Sotnikova, E. Mashchenko (Moscow), late N.L. Fomicheva (Kazan), P. Kosintsev and D. Gimranov (Yekaterinburg), G. Boeskorov (Yakutsk), T. Krakhmalnaya, D. Ivanov (Kiev), T. Oblade (Kishinev), A. Lister (London), V. Eisenmann (Paris), C. Guérin (Lyon), M.-F. Bonifay, J.-Ph. Brugal (Aix-Marseille), C. Petronio (Roma), U. Göhlich (Vienna), H. Lutz (Mainz), T. Schlossleitner (Berlin), J. Wagner, B. Ekrt (Prague), Št. Rak (Beroun), M. Galetová, M. Robličková (Brno), A. Nadachowski (Krakow) and John E. Storer (Whitehorse) providing us material for comparison.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2023.2214578

Additional information

Funding

The study was supported in part by the theme of the Laboratory of Biogeography of Institute of Geography of Russian Academy of Sciences ‘Assessment of physical-geographical, hydrological and biotic changes in the environment and their consequences for creating the foundations for sustainable environmental management’ (FMGE-2019-0007, АААА-А19-119021990093-8) (AP), and by the theme of the Laboratory of Theriology of Zoological Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences ‘Phylogeny, morphology, ecology, and systematics of terrestrial vertebrates’ (122031100282-2) (GB).