Recent genomic research has delineated the evolutionary divergence between the extinct cave lion and the modern lion.

最近的基因組研究劃分了已滅絕的洞獅與現代獅子之間的演化分歧。

The study, published in the journal Cell, utilized genetic material from 12 cave lion specimens—sourced from Russia, Austria, and the Yukon territory—and compared them with 20 modern lions. Data extraction was achieved via osteological remains and preserved soft tissue from Siberian cubs. The findings indicate a phylogenetic divergence occurring approximately 1.7 million years ago during the Pleistocene Epoch. This divergence resulted in distinct genetic adaptations pertaining to circulatory development, brain function, vision, and growth.

這項發表在《Cell》期刊的研究，利用了 12 個來自俄羅斯、奧地利與育空地區的洞獅樣本基因物質，並將它們與 20 隻現代獅子進行對比。數據是透過骨骼遺骸與西伯利亞幼獅保留下來的軟組織來提取的。研究結果顯示，在更新世（Pleistocene Epoch）大約 170 萬年前發生了系統發育分歧。這次分歧導致了在循環系統發育、大腦功能、視覺與生長方面出現不同的基因適應。

Ecologically, Panthera spelaea functioned as an apex predator within the mammoth steppe, a frigid ecosystem spanning northern Eurasia and northwestern North America. Morphologically, the species was more robust and larger than its modern counterpart, and it lacked the characteristic mane of the modern male lion, as evidenced by contemporaneous cave paintings. Its predatory range included megafauna such as woolly rhinoceroses, bison, and juvenile or geriatric woolly mammoths. While empirical evidence of anthropophagy is absent, researchers posit that predation on humans likely occurred.

在生態方面，洞獅 (Panthera spelaea) 是猛瑪象草原的頂端掠食者，這個寒冷的生態系統橫跨歐亞大陸北部與北美洲西北部。在形態上，這個物種比現代獅子更強壯、體型更大，且根據當時的洞穴壁畫顯示，它們缺乏現代雄獅特有的鬃毛。其捕食範圍包括大型動物，例如長毛犀、野牛，以及幼年或年老的長毛猛瑪象。雖然缺乏食人的經驗證據，但研究人員認為捕食人類很可能發生過。

Inter-species interaction was modulated by climatic fluctuations. The expansion of continental ice sheets periodically facilitated a southward migration of cave lions, resulting in range overlaps and sporadic interbreeding, potentially in regions such as modern-day Iran. The eventual extinction of the species approximately 14,000 years ago is attributed to a combination of rapid climatic warming and increased human population densities, aligning with the broader pattern of Pleistocene megafauna extinction.

物種之間的互動受氣候波動調節。大陸冰蓋的擴張周期性地促使洞獅向南遷徙，導致棲息地重疊並發生零星雜交，可能發生在如現代伊朗等地區。該物種最終在約 14,000 年前滅絕，歸因於快速的氣候暖化與人類人口密度增加的共同影響，這與更新世大型動物滅絕的更廣泛模式一致。

The cave lion represents a unique evolutionary lineage that succumbed to climatic and anthropogenic pressures at the end of the Ice Age.

洞獅代表了一個獨特的演化支系，在冰河時代末期因氣候與人為壓力而滅絕。