Fossilized remains of a skull were found at Natodomeri in northwest Kenya and experts believe it was closer in size to cave lion fossils than a modern lion's skull.
Skull fossils reveal a terrifying giant big cat that roamed Kenya 200,000 years ago.
The skull is remarkable for its very great size, equivalent to the largest cave lions (Panthera spelaea) of Pleistocene Eurasia and much larger than any previously known lion from Africa, living or fossil.
Measuring in at more than 38 centimeters (15 inches) in length, the skull is about 22 percent longer than those of the largest recorded modern-day lions.
It had a body length of 3 m, and a weight of 180-350+ kg.
It is thought to belong to an extinct species of lion that was substantially larger and its size may be thanks to giant plant eating mammals that once roamed Africa some 200,000 years ago.
The exact reasons for its extinction are not well-documented. Like many ancient species, factors such as climate change, habitat loss, and competition with other predators likely played a role in its decline and eventual extinction.
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