If given the choice, a female lion would rather snuggle up to a scruffy maned lion from Chicago than a dapper one from Houston.
American scientists have measured the size and thickness of lion manes in zoos across the northern and southern United States, spanning over 3,000 kilometers from Illinois to Texas. The average temperatures in the studied zoos ranged from -6 to 10 degrees Celsius in January to 18-30 degrees Celsius in July.
They discovered that members of the Panthera leo species living in colder climates have more impressive manes—this is a key factor determining their attractiveness to female lions. The quality of a lion’s mane sends signals to both sexes. A luxurious, messy mane tells other males to “stay away” while simultaneously sending the message “come here” to the females.
Previously, nutrition, social factors, and genetics were considered crucial in influencing mane size, but recent findings indicate that half of the length and thickness of this gender symbol is determined by temperature.
A thick mane retains heat in hot, dry climates, much like someone wearing a fur hat, making the animal extremely uncomfortable.
While all lions have a full mane around their head, neck, and throat, those in southern zoos often lack fur in other areas such as the belly, back, ribs, and elbows compared to their northern counterparts.
Lions from the north, represented by one from Illinois and another from St. Louis, both possess extremely attractive manes. Their fur grows long down to the middle of their backs, covering their front legs and even their bellies. In contrast, two lions from the south, one in Houston and the other in Tyler, Texas, have sportier-looking manes. However, their fur is thinner than that of the northern lions and they have less hair on their backs and bellies.
But a sexy mane comes at a cost. It can serve as a distant warning signal to prey, making it difficult for lions to move through brush, and it may also be a hiding place for parasites.
Additionally, maintaining a mane can be quite costly in terms of food and care, which is why lions in captivity often have shorter, more manageable manes.
T. An
