How long have lions been on earth?

Answer 1

Lions evolved in Africa between 1 million and 800,000 years ago.

Answer 2

The lion is believed to have evolved about 700,000 years ago. The tiger, jaguar, and leopard are all believed to have evolved 100,000 to 300,000 years earlier.

Lions have been reported to exist between 1 million and 800,000 years ago. Lions are a tribe of animals apart of the genus Panthera species.

Answer 3

Fossil evidence suggests that the earliest lion-like cat appeared in East Africa during the Late Pliocene (5.0-1.8 Myr ago; Turner & Antón 1997). In a pattern broadly resembling that of humans, lions migrated out of Africa during the Middle Pleistocene (800-100 kyr ago) into Europe and Asia, eventually colonizing the entire Holarctic region (Stringer 2002; Yamaguchi et al. 2004). Lions were the most widespread large terrestrial mammals during the Late Pleistocene (100-10 kyr ago), with a range that included Africa, most of Eurasia and North America (Kurtén 1968; Turner & Antón 1997). Recent genetic studies have suggested that at least two distinct lineages of lion inhabited western Eurasia at the end of the Pleistocene: the Holarctic cave lion (Panthera leo spelaea), and the modern lion (P. l. ssp.; Burger et al. 2004)."

Since Africa began drying and the forests began disappearing about 5 million years ago, that seems to be a good estimate of the time of origin of lions. The lion's closest relative is the leopard. It is likely that as the forests disappeared, some of the leopards were forced to make a living on the open savanna, at about the same time that some apes were forced to live in the open savanna of Africa. The lion evolved a larger sized body, unicolor brown coloration as adults (lion cubs are still spotted) , and they evolved to live in social groups, instead of leading a solitary life like the leopard.

Other sources suggest that a Panthera fossil that cannot be definitely assigned to the lion was dated at 3.5 million years old, and the oldest fossil that is undoubtedly a lion has been dated at 1.8 million years old.

Answer 4

At least three million years ago.