英语听力：探索发现 2012-09-23 长毛象王国 Mammoth—7

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To solve this puzzle, we need to look to Africa. African buffalo¹ are similar in size to the extinct steppe bison. So what is their foremost predator²? The lion. Lions, unlike bears, have their claws sheathed³ most of the time to keep them razor-sharp. But when they strike, their claws extend to get a good grip on the victim’s hide. This often leaves deep gouges⁴, just like those found on the mummified bison. 

 

And there’s a second clue. The most efficient way to kill large prey⁵ is suffocation⁶. Lions typically clamp their jaws⁷ around the victims muzzle⁸ in a deadly bite. Our Ice Age bison had a set of puncture⁹ marks on its snout, around 9 centimeters apart, the blueprint¹⁰ of lion’s bite. 

 

The third and final clue was found embedded¹¹ in the bison’s hide, a tiny fragment of lion tooth. 

 

So it seems the king of the savannah once roamed the cold expanses of Ice Age America. These long-lost lions of Beringia were close relatives of those we find in Africa today, but they were up to 25% bigger, amongst the largest lions that ever walked the earth. 

 

Thanks to the bison herds¹² and other big game, they could flourish in the freezing north. But the lion’s family tree begins in Africa. So how do they end up here?

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