Skull of Panthera leo spelaea. Arrikrutz (Oñati, Gipuzkoa)

This skull forms part of the skeleton of a cave lion or Panthera spelaea. It was found in one of the deepest galleries of the Arrikrutz cave (Oñati, Gipuzkoa) and is one of the most complete remains found on the European mainland. Cave lions were one and a half times bigger than modern-day lions (Panthera leo) and lived in Europe from approximately 670 000 years to 12 000 BP. Lions such as the one at Arrikrutz are depicted in the cave at Chauvet (Ardèche, France) dating from the Upper Palaeolithic.

Bibliography:

Altuna, Jesús. Hallazgo de un esqueleto de león de las cavernas en la cueva de Arrikrutz (Oñate-Guipúzcoa). Munibe, 1967. 19:3-4, 331-332

Inventory number: Arrikrutz