Cave lions (Panthera spelaea) of Ukraine:
craniodental adaptations, morphometric comparisons, and evolutionary trends
Yuliia Velytchenko1, https://orcid.org/0009-0009-9580-3386
Oleksandr Kovalchuk2,3,4, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9545-208X
1Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (Kyiv, Ukraine)
2National Museum of Natural History, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (Kyiv, Ukraine)
3University of Wrocław (Wrocław, Poland)
4A. S. Makarenko Sumy State Pedagogical University (Sumy, Ukraine)
Cite as
Velytchenko, Yu., & Kovalchuk, O. (2026). Cave lions (Panthera spelaea) of Ukraine: craniodental adaptations, morphometric comparisons, and evolutionary trends. GEO&BIO, 28, 49-68.
doi: https://doi.org/10.53452/gb2806
pdf: G&B №28-2026_49-68_Velytchenko.pdf
Abstract
This article synthesizes osteological and craniodental evidence to reconstruct the evolutionary trajectory, functional morphology, and ecological significance of the cave lion Panthera spelaea in the territory of modern Ukraine. We examined a complete female skull from Kryshtaleva Cave, mandibular fragments from Kodak, and a male skull from Chernihiv, and compared them with systematically measured skulls of six captive African lions Panthera leo. To broaden the geographic and chronological context, published craniometric datasets for Ukrainian cave lion localities were incorporated, including Middle Pleistocene Panthera spelaea fossilis, putative P. s. intermedia, and Late Pleistocene P. s. spelaea. Standardised measurements of cranial, mandibular, and dental parameters were analysed separately by sex to account for pronounced dimorphism. Ukrainian cave lions show a consistent suite of adaptations linked to predation on megafauna under cold-steppe conditions: a shortened facial region and reduced diastema that increase mechanical advantage of the jaw; expansion of occipital and mastoid regions for powerful cervical and temporal musculature; enlarged nasal apertures suggesting climatic adaptation; and an odontological shift toward hypercarnivory. Dentition is characterised by robust, high canines, elongation and lateral compression of premolars, elongation of carnassial cutting blades, reduction of posterior molars, and shallower carnassial notches indicating specialization for slicing soft tissues rather than bone processing. Metric patterns also support a chronocline of size reduction from Panthera spelaea fossilis through intermediate forms to Panthera spelaea spelaea without loss of functional specialisation. The results refine morphological criteria for identifying cave lion remains from Ukraine and provide new insight into evolutionary trends within the genus Panthera.
Key words
cave lion, African lion, skull, dentition, morphometric analysis
Correspondence to: Oleksandr Kovalchuk; Department of Palaeontology, National Museum of Natural History of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 15 Bohdana Khmelnytskoho Street, Kyiv 01054, Ukraine; e-mail: biologiest@ukr.net
Article info
Submitted: 28.04.2026. Revised: 19.05.2026. Accepted: 20.05.2026
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