The DNA analysis supports historical evidence suggesting that Barbary lions had an ancient presence in Europe, he added.
"We know that the Romans were exploiting the short distance across the Mediterranean to North Africa to take animals for gladiatorial games and exhibitions," he said. (See a map of the region.)
"The Barbary lion population had been exploited for at least a couple of thousand years. It was quite easy for people to nip over from Italy, Spain, and Portugal to pick them up."
The last reported Barbary lion in the wild was shot in the Atlas Mountains in northwest Africa in 1922, Sabin said.
Since then, hopes of reviving the subspecies have focused on captive lions, especially those showing signs of the Barbary's most distinctive feature: a noticeably long, dark mane.
"Because we have these good genetic samples from known purebred Barbary lions, we can compare DNA from those ancient specimens to the ones that potentially are still alive in zoos today," Sabin said.
"There may be descendents of them still in the U.K. in zoos and wild-animal parks, but this is something that would need to be ascertained through genetic study."
Opening Doors
Nobuyuki Yamaguchi of the University of Oxford's Wildlife Conservation Research Unit is leading efforts to trace potential Barbary survivors.
Yamaguchi, who co-authored the new study, says that to date no living Barbary lions have been confirmed in captivity, despite various rumors to the contrary.
While he says the Tower of London find doesn't directly assist his search, he hopes it might help widen the net.
"For example, once many people know that a DNA test would be available for checking if a lion might be a Barbary, museums and zoos may want to carry out the test," he said.
"In this context, our recent works can provide the key if people would like to open the door."
Lions have been known to breed well in captivity—even when kept in unsuitable conditions, such as those before the 20th century—Yamaguchi noted.
"Therefore, it is natural for people to consider that there must be some zoo lions today that carry the Barbary blood," he said.
The long-term aim, he added, is to return the lion to part of its former range in North Africa.
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