Lion Mane Myths

Photo courtesy of Peyton West Shaggy manes help lions attract females.

Even though today manes don't seem to offer protection, West says a protective role could have been the reason the trait evolved in the first place. In the early evolution of the trait, males may have gone straight for the neck, making individuals with manes harder to attack and thus more favored by natural selection. As evolution continued and more and more males developed manes, attacking the neck area would no longer have been an effective fighting strategy, causing lions to try for the back side instead.

But the natural selection theory has recently been contested by a new study. Research led by Dr Bruce Patterson from The Field Museum shows that a lion's mane can vary in thickness depending on the local climate and is not a result of evolution. Although useful for attracting a mate, a thick mane also comes at a price: it takes energy to grow and maintain, is cumbersome, makes a lion more visible and therefore can attract prey, can harbor parasites and most importantly, retains heat. In a northern climate, it helps a lion keep warm but in hotter areas, the lion risks overheating and so differential hair growth keeps the mane thinner.

Photo courtesy of Bruce Patterson Maybe he's born with it? Maybe not, as new research shows that the thickness of a lion's mane can change depending on the climate where they live.

After studying 19 lions in zoos across the United States covering a variety of climates, the researchers found that there was a correlation between mane variation and temperature, most significantly in cold weather where manes were seen to change the most. These results may cause scientists to reevaluate the lion family tree, since lions have largely been classified based on their physical appearance and the length and thickness of their mane.

The adaptability of the lion mane gives hope for lions' survival in the wild. A better understanding of their physionomy and behaviour will also help conservationists reestablish dwindling populations. "The lion is an intensively studied species and probably the best known wild cat on earth," says field biologist Luke Hunter of Wildlife Conservation Society-International, "but good science is still revealing new things about the species and turning over popular misconceptions."

For more info, visit:

American Scientist - The Lion's Mane
http://www.americanscientist.org/template/AssetDetail/assetid/42393

Newswise - Lion Manes Linked to Climate
http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/519488/?sc=swhn