Investigating the genetics of the prehistoric cave lion

Sunday 7th June 2026

This line of research is, quite possibly, the most important piece of feline genetic research being carried out at the moment. I very much look forward to seeing how it all transpires. I suspect that it will tell us quite a lot of information which will be of interest and value to those of us in the cryptozoology community. however, that does not mean that I suspect that the mystery cats of the United Kingdom and Western Europe are surviving cave lions. That would be very silly. JD

Ancient DNA from extinct cave lions sheds new light on the magnificent big cat

New genome research now offers unprecedented insights into what made this magnificent big cat unique, distinguishing it from its smaller, modern lion …

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Jonathan Downes
Cryptozoologist, naturalist, musician, singer, composer, poet, novelist and Director of the Centre for Fortean Zoology since 1992. Jon was born in Portsmouth in 1959 and spent his infancy in Nigeria and his childhood in Hong Kong. His wife Corinna died of cancer in 2020, leaving him with two stepdaughters and an eleven year old granddaughter called Evelyn.