"At the beginning of the Pleistocene Ice Age, changing climates and ecosystems of Africa and Asia opened newavenues for evolutionary adaptation to both herbivores and carnivores, and especially the pantherine felids, or big cats. Despite the iconic image of big cats like leopards, tigers and lions for us, their origins and history have been only imcompletely understood, and gaps still exist in the fossil record. This book provides an updated and as comprehesive as possible understanding of the big cats' evolution, and their significance in ancient Ice Age ecosystems. It will also describe their long, often adversarial relationship to another apex predator: human beings. The rise of the pantherines is here vividly portrayed not only through the carefully documented text, based on the most recent studies of leading carnivore paleontologists, but also through accurate, detailed illustrations. Hallett's talent for "life reconstruction" and "scenic" imagery will supplement the text by helping to bring these ancient animals to life. Ending with a strong case for renewed efforts for big cat conservation, the book will motivate all the more strongly those who care about the fate of the pantherines. By showing the great evolutionary distance travelled by the big cats, the challenges already overcome and adapted to, the authors hope their call to action will all the more poignant: will well, through simple negligence, be the ones to allow this long line to come to an end?"--