Qasr mosaic leopard and VMS Leo/August image

[Koen G]

I also like facts.

Fact 1: the Voynich feline does not look like the typical medieval Leo. This is not subjective, it can be determined through binary features.
Fact 2: It is known that the Carolingians injected classical imagery into the medieval European tradition through their Aratea copies. This might explain unusual features in later examples like Cod. Sang. 402.
Fact 3: Older imagery from Greco-Roman North Africa explains most, if not all, strange aspects of the Voynich feline: colour, dots, musculature, uplifted paw, wobbly eyes, pointy tongue, round ears, tree shape, tail between legs...
Fact 4: It has been demonstrated in this thread that there existed a widespread custom to place a certain tree behind animals, not as decoration but as a specific motif. The tree with three branches of often found behind the leopard/panther type, originally referring to its connection with Dionysos.
Fact 5: The tip of the Voynich feline's tail strongly resembles such a tree, with the clearest example found in the Qasr mosaic.

Now all that is missing is an explanation, and I think Sam provided a clear one in his initial post. Conscious blending of the forms is one option, copying from unclear exemplars another. The fact is that these older examples have a stronger explanatory power than the "weird zodiac" idea. It doesn't matter to me whether you believe this or not, but I do like the exchange of ideas if this can bring us closer to a solution.