what is the scientific name for a lion
Felis leo
Lion
Felis leo" was the scientific name used by Carl Linnaeus in 1758, who described the lion in his work "Systema Naturae". 
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Lion [SEP] Taxonomy
"Felis leo" was the scientific name used by Carl Linnaeus in 1758, who described the lion in his work "Systema Naturae". The genus name "Panthera" was coined by German naturalist Lorenz Oken in 1816. Between the mid-18th and mid-20th centuries, 26 lion specimens were described and proposed as subspecies, of which 11 were recognised as valid in 2005. They were distinguished mostly by the size and colour of their manes and of their skins.