Last population of cave lion (Panthera (Leo) spelaea) in the extreme south-west of Europe: Carigüela cave (Southern Iberian Peninsula)

he revision of the fauna of Carigüela (Píñar, Granada) has yielded the remains of a cave lion hitherto unknown at this site. The comparative morphometric study of the distal humerus fragment has led to its attribution to Panthera spelaea Goldfuss. From two samples of the bone and using the U/Th technique, an absolute dating of 145–148 ka (MIS 6) has been established. The geographical location of the site makes the cave lion of Carigüela, together with that of Solana del Zamborino, the two most southerly records of this species in Europe. In the case of the former, it is the most recent reference of this species for southern Iberia.