Scientists studied the DNA of the old cave lion. They found that it is different from the lions we see today.

科學家研究了古洞獅的 DNA，發現牠與我們現在看到的獅子不同。

Scientists looked at bones and skin from old lions. These lions lived a very long time ago. They had different brains and eyes than modern lions.

科學家觀察了古獅的骨骼和皮膚。這些獅子生活在很久很久以前。牠們的大腦和眼睛與現代獅子不同。

Cave lions were very big and strong. They lived in cold places. They did not have long hair around their necks. They ate big animals like mammoths.

洞獅非常巨大且強壯。牠們生活在寒冷的地方。牠們的頸部周圍沒有長毛。牠們捕食像猛犸象這樣巨大的動物。

Sometimes the weather changed. The cave lions moved to warmer places. There, they met and had babies with modern lions. Later, the world became too warm. There were also more humans. These things killed the cave lions.

有時天氣會改變。洞獅便遷徙到較溫暖的地方。在那裡，牠們與現代獅子相遇並繁衍後代。隨後，世界變得太溫暖，人類數量也增加。這些因素導致了洞獅的滅絕。

The cave lion was a special animal. It died because the weather changed and humans grew in number.

洞獅是一種很特別的動物。牠們的滅絕是因為天氣改變以及人類數量增加。

Recent genetic research has clarified the evolutionary difference between the extinct cave lion and the modern lion.

最近的基因研究釐清了已滅絕的洞獅與現代獅子之間的演化差異。

The study, published in the journal Cell, analyzed genetic material from 12 cave lion specimens found in Russia, Austria, and the Yukon, comparing them with 20 modern lions. Researchers extracted this data from old bones and preserved tissue from Siberian cubs. The results emphasize that the two groups split approximately 1.7 million years ago. Consequently, this separation led to different genetic adaptations regarding brain function, vision, growth, and the circulatory system.

這項發表在《Cell》期刊的研究，分析了在俄羅斯、奧地利與育空發現的 12 個洞獅樣本的基因物質，並將其與 20 隻現代獅子進行比較。研究人員從古老的骨骼與西伯利亞幼獅保存的組織中提取了這些數據。結果強調兩組生物大約在 170 萬年前分開。因此，這次分化導致其在腦功能、視力、生長與循環系統方面產生了不同的基因適應。

In terms of ecology, the cave lion was a top predator in the 'mammoth steppe,' a cold environment across northern Eurasia and North America. These lions were larger and stronger than modern lions; furthermore, evidence from ancient cave paintings suggests that males did not have the typical mane. Their diet included large animals such as woolly rhinoceroses, bison, and young or old mammoths. While there is no direct evidence that they ate humans, researchers believe that hunting humans likely happened.

在生態方面，洞獅是「猛瑪象草原」的頂級掠食者，該環境是橫跨北歐亞與北美的寒冷地帶。這些獅子比現代獅子更大且更強壯；此外，古洞穴壁畫的證據顯示，雄性洞獅並沒有典型的鬃毛。牠們的飲食包括大型動物，例如絨毛犀牛、野牛，以及幼年或年老的猛瑪象。雖然沒有直接證據證明牠們吃人，但研究人員認為狩獵人類很可能發生過。

Climate changes also affected how these species interacted. When ice sheets expanded, cave lions moved south, which led to occasional interbreeding with modern lions in areas like modern-day Iran. However, the species eventually became extinct about 14,000 years ago. Experts assert that this was caused by a combination of rapid global warming and increasing human populations, following the same pattern as other large Ice Age animals.

氣候變化也影響了這些物種之間的互動。當冰蓋擴張時，洞獅向南移動，導致牠們在如現代伊朗等地區偶爾與現代獅子雜交。然而，該物種最終在大約 14,000 年前滅絕。專家主張這是由於全球快速暖化與人類人口增加共同造成的，與其他大型冰河時代動物的滅絕模式相同。

The cave lion was a unique species that disappeared due to climate change and human pressure at the end of the Ice Age.

洞獅為一個獨特物種，由於冰河時代末期的氣候變化與人類壓力而消失。

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。