Scientist attempt to clone an a cave lion.

[stoneage]

http://news.yahoo.com/scientists-attempt-to-clone-extinct-ice-age-lion-095732582.html

[SBell]

Welcome...to Pleistocene Park!

[Gwangi]

This seems more plausible than cloning a mammoth, what with it being a sub-species of Panthera leo.

[PaleoMatt]

Yes! Were getting somewhere!!

[CityRaptor]

Not the most spectacular of prehistoric animals, but probably a good starting point.

Welcome...to Pleistocene Park!

Visitor: But that's a lion. They have those in like every Zoo ever...( Because that is what they will look like to the untrained public )


Comments don't load for me, are they the usual mess?

[Gwangi]

It would be interesting to see if there are any notable visual differences.

[Yutyrannus]

This seems more plausible than cloning a mammoth, what with it being a sub-species of Panthera leo.

That's debatable, and from what I understand the general consensus now is that it and P. atrox are separate species from P. leo, but still closely related. Also, evidently some cave art depicts Eurasian cave lions as having faint stripes and lacking manes.

[stargatedalek]

Same scientist was hanged with malpractice in stem-cell research a few years back forging data, not getting my hopes up.

[Gwangi]

This seems more plausible than cloning a mammoth, what with it being a sub-species of Panthera leo.

That's debatable, and from what I understand the general consensus now is that it and P. atrox are separate species from P. leo, but still closely related. Also, evidently some cave art depicts Eurasian cave lions as having faint stripes and lacking manes.

Well, sure, it's debatable. What isn't? They're still related on the genus level which is more than can be said for mammoths and extant elephants.

[Yutyrannus]

This seems more plausible than cloning a mammoth, what with it being a sub-species of Panthera leo.

That's debatable, and from what I understand the general consensus now is that it and P. atrox are separate species from P. leo, but still closely related. Also, evidently some cave art depicts Eurasian cave lions as having faint stripes and lacking manes.

Well, sure, it's debatable. What isn't? They're still related on the genus level which is more than can be said for mammoths and extant elephants.

Yes, but you specifically stated that it was a subspecies of Panthera leo, which I was simply pointing out is a particularly debated subject, and right now most of the evidence seems to be pointing to it and P. atrox being separate species from P. leo, that are very closely related to the latter. In fact, if you follow the cladogram in this paper, the closest relative of P. leo is actually P. pardus:
http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0025483

Although, something worth looking into further that for some reason no one hasn't been is whether or not the Eurasian cave lion and American lion are closely related enough to be considered subspecies within the species P. spelaea...

[Gwangi]

Yes, but you specifically stated that it was a subspecies of Panthera leo, which I was simply pointing out is a particularly debated subject, and right now most of the evidence seems to be pointing to it and P. atrox being separate species from P. leo, that are very closely related to the latter. In fact, if you follow the cladogram in this paper, the closest relative of P. leo is actually P. pardus:
http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0025483

Although, something worth looking into further that for some reason no one hasn't been is whether or not the Eurasian cave lion and American lion are closely related enough to be considered subspecies within the species P. spelaea...

Are we arguing about something? I'm aware of what I said and I acknowledged your response.

[alexeratops]

Welcome...to Pleistocene Park!

You beat me to it.

Dang it.

[Yutyrannus]

Yes, but you specifically stated that it was a subspecies of Panthera leo, which I was simply pointing out is a particularly debated subject, and right now most of the evidence seems to be pointing to it and P. atrox being separate species from P. leo, that are very closely related to the latter. In fact, if you follow the cladogram in this paper, the closest relative of P. leo is actually P. pardus:
http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0025483

Although, something worth looking into further that for some reason no one hasn't been is whether or not the Eurasian cave lion and American lion are closely related enough to be considered subspecies within the species P. spelaea...

Are we arguing about something? I'm aware of what I said and I acknowledged your response.

No, I am just particularly interested in this subject, and I found it quite interesting that the paper I linked to found the closest relative of P. leo to be P. pardus, so I shared the link to it. Sorry if my post came across the wrong way .

[CityRaptor]

Welcome...to Pleistocene Park!

You beat me to it.

Dang it.

It's real!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleistocene_Park

Now I'm also thinking of Reverse Jurassic Park...

[Gwangi]

No, I am just particularly interested in this subject, and I found it quite interesting that the paper I linked to found the closest relative of P. leo to be P. pardus, so I shared the link to it. Sorry if my post came across the wrong way .

No worries. You were just repeating back to me what I had already said so I wanted to make sure you weren't trying to make a debate about it. It is very interesting, but the close relationship between all of Panthera is interesting if you ask me.

[Yutyrannus]

No, I am just particularly interested in this subject, and I found it quite interesting that the paper I linked to found the closest relative of P. leo to be P. pardus, so I shared the link to it. Sorry if my post came across the wrong way .

No worries. You were just repeating back to me what I had already said so I wanted to make sure you weren't trying to make a debate about it. It is very interesting, but the close relationship between all of Panthera is interesting if you ask me.

Indeed, it is. I also find it quite interesting that there have only ever been (as far as we currently know) two pantherine genera.

Also, I would love it if they manage to clone cave lions, they are (along with Siberian tigers and Amur leopards) my favorite big cats .