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- Title
Ancient DNA analysis indicates the first English lions originated from North Africa.
- Authors
Bamett, Ross; Yamaguchi, Nobuyuki; Shapiro, Beth; Sabin, Richard
- Abstract
The Royal Menagerie of England was established at the Tower of London in the 13th Century and served as a home of exotic animals until it was closed on behalf of the Duke of Wellington in 1835. Two well-preserved lion skulls recovered from the moat of the Tower of London were recently radiocarbon-dated to AD 1280-1385 and AD 1420-1480, making them the earliest confirmed lion remains in the British Isles since the extinction of the Pleistocene cave lion. Using ancient DNA techniques and cranio-morphometric analysis, we identify the source of these first English lions to lie in North Africa, where no natural lion population remains today.
- Subjects
LONDON (England); ENGLAND; MENAGERIES; EXOTIC animals; ANIMAL populations
- Publication
Contributions to Zoology, 2008, Vol 77, Issue 1, p7
- ISSN
1383-4517
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1163/18759866-07701002