It was the fossilized jaw of the American lion, a species that went extinct 11,000 years ago. It was reported to be the fourth fossil of the lions ever found in Mississippi. PHOTO FROM GEORGE ...

Rare fossil of huge American lion found on just-uncovered sandbar in Mississippi River By Mark Price. Updated November 14, 2022 10:18 PM.

A fragment of a fossilized jaw bone with a tooth was discovered, and experts believe it’s from a lion species that went extinct thousands of years ago.

The first fossil of the American lion was found in Natchez, Mississippi, in 1836, but paleontologist Joseph Leidy didn’t identify it until nearly 20 years later.

It's only the fourth fossil of the ancient American lion found in Mississippi, according to the news outlet. Wiley Prewitt, a local resident, stumbled on what looked like a huge black tooth in the ...

Rare fossil of huge American lion found on just-uncovered sandbar in Mississippi River By Mark Price. Updated November 14, 2022 9:18 PM.

Rare fossil of huge American lion found on just-uncovered sandbar in Mississippi River By Mark Price. Updated November 14, 2022 9:18 PM.

A fragment of a fossilized jaw bone with a tooth was discovered, and experts believe it’s from a lion species that went extinct thousands of years ago.

Rare fossil of huge American lion found on just-uncovered sandbar in Mississippi River By Mark Price. Updated November 14, 2022 10:18 PM.

Rare fossil of huge American lion found on just-uncovered sandbar in Mississippi River By Mark Price. Updated November 14, 2022 7:18 PM.

A fossil from an American lion was found in the Mississippi River. (Museum of Natural Science) Experts say this lion was a larger version of the African lion by about 25%.