The cave lynx or Mediterranean cave lynx (''Lynx spelaeus'' or ''Lynx pardinus spelaeus'') is an extinct

felid Felidae () is the family of mammals in the order Carnivora colloquially referred to as cats, and constitutes a clade. A member of this family is also called a felid (). The term "cat" refers both to felids in general and specifically to the dom ...

species that lived during the

Pleistocene The Pleistocene ( , often referred to as the ''Ice age'') is the geological Epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 2,580,000 to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was fina ...

. It is controversially discussed to be a

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

of the modern

Iberian lynx The Iberian lynx (''Lynx pardinus'') is a wild cat species endemic to the Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe. It is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. In the 20th century, the Iberian lynx population had declined because of overhun ...

(''Lynx pardinus'') and to be a junior synonym of this species. Fossils have been found from the Middle and Late Pleistocene in

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

and

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. Body mass reconstructions estimate this lynx to weigh about 23 kg.Carlo Meloro, 2007: Plio-Pleistocene large carnivores from the Italian peninsula: functional morphology and macroecology, Università degli Studi di Napoli “Federico II”, http://www.fedoa.unina.it/1935/1/Meloro_Scienze_Terra.pdf

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q30693238 Pleistocene carnivorans Lynx