North America, Northwestern United States & Canada, Alaska & Yukon territories, Pleistocene period, ca. 340,000 to 10,000 years ago. A beautiful and nearly compete fossilized lower mandible from a prehistoric North American lion, Panthera atrox. This is a "jaw dropping" specimen, from the left mandible of the largest North American predator of the Pleistocene epoch. This bone is complete with the canine tooth and molars. The missing premolar was likely lost in the cat's lifetime. This jaw is simply amazing and was discovered in a gold mine. The exposed enamel of the canine tooth is huge, over 2 inches, with more root under the bone. The surface of the jaw is an umber brown hue, and the teeth have a lustrous enamel. This is a rare and unusual fossil to add to any collection and is one of the better examples we have seen. The teeth are all original to this cat. Cat lovers be warned, it is rare to find nearly as purr-fect a specimen! Size: 10" L x 5" W (25.4 cm x 12.7 cm); canine tooth: 2.125" L (5.4 cm)

The American lion was the largest species of lion to ever exist, approximately 25% larger than modern day African lions, standing at 3.9 feet at the shoulders (1.2 meters) and 5 to 8 feet (1.6 to 2.5 meters) from nose tail tip! On average the males weighed between 518 and 1,153 lbs (235 to 523 kg)! Unsurprisingly the lion was the largest carnivore inhabiting the northern part of North America, only rivaled in the south by the giant short-faced bears. While Smilodon, also known as the saber tooth tiger, is the more famous of prehistoric cats, the American Lion is larger and rarer.

Provenance: Private Rome, Georgia, USA collection

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#166973

Only jawbone as shown. Missing molar. Other teeth are intact and very good. Stable fissures in enamel. The canine is intact. Losses to lower enamel layer of canine tooth, with striation encircling center. Beautiful coloration and some ossification of the bone as expected with age.