American Lion

Panthera atrox, also known as the American Lion, was a large predatory big cat species from the North American Pleistocene, about 11,000 years ago. As the common name suggests, Panthera atrox is most closely related to the modern day African Lion, but was even larger. The largest male individuals reached 8 feet in length, 4 feet tall at the shoulder, and weighed nearly 1,000 lbs. Their large size and similar diet to their contemporary and cousin, the saber-toothed cat, Smilodon, would have put the two cats in competition.