. ▁Sm il odon ▁lived ▁in ▁North ▁and ▁South ▁America ▁from ▁about ▁ 2 . 5 ▁million ▁years ▁ago . ▁This ▁sub family ▁became ▁ext inct ▁in ▁the ▁Late ▁Ple ist oc ene . ▁ ▁Results ▁of ▁mit och ond rial ▁analysis ▁indicate ▁that ▁the ▁living ▁Fel idae ▁species ▁desc ended ▁from ▁a ▁common ▁ancest or , ▁which ▁origin ated ▁in ▁Asia ▁in ▁the ▁Late ▁Mi oc ene ▁epo ch . ▁They ▁migr ated ▁to ▁Africa , ▁Europe ▁and ▁the ▁Amer icas ▁in ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁at ▁least ▁ 1 0 ▁migration ▁waves ▁during ▁the ▁past ▁~ 1 1 ▁million ▁years . ▁Low ▁sea ▁levels , ▁inter g la cial ▁and ▁gla cial ▁periods ▁facil itated ▁these ▁migr ations . ▁Pan ther a ▁b ly the ae ▁is ▁the ▁oldest ▁known ▁pan ther ine ▁cat ▁dated ▁to ▁the ▁late ▁Mess in ian ▁to ▁early ▁Z an clean ▁ages ▁about ▁ 4 . 1 – 5 . 9 5 ▁million ▁years ▁ago . ▁A ▁foss il ▁sk ull ▁was ▁exc av ated ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁in ▁Z anda ▁County ▁on ▁the ▁Tib et an ▁Pl ate au . ▁Pan ther a ▁p ala e os in ensis ▁from ▁North ▁China ▁probably ▁dates ▁to ▁the ▁Late ▁Mi oc ene ▁or ▁Early ▁P li oc ene . ▁The ▁sk ull ▁of ▁the ▁hol ot ype ▁is ▁similar ▁to ▁that ▁of ▁a ▁l ion ▁or ▁le op ard . ▁Pan ther a ▁zd ans ky i ▁dates ▁to ▁the ▁Gel as ian ▁about ▁