http://www.lionlamb.us/lion/lionfact.html
The mature male lion has a mane that covers the backside of the head, and the shoulders. The extent of the mane varies from individual to individual, with some having no mane at all, while others have a luxurious mane that runs onto the body, along the abdomen, and even onto the fronts of the back legs in exceptional specimins. The mane varies in color from the rest of the body, and tends to grow darker with age. Some lions in the Serengeti area and from North Africa have a nearly black mane. Just like th body hair, the mane color is determined by the ratio of dark hairs to light hairs present. The mane hair is stiff and wiry, like stiff horeshair. Besides it's primary role of protecting the male during fights, it has been discovered that female lions prefer males with bigger and darker manes.
It would seem that since the females prefer the males with bigger/darker manes-those are the males that would be the head of the pride (or king in this case...lol) while the others are more likely to be rogues (it seems that the rogues I've seen while watching nature programs tend to have smaller or no manes)
Time heals all wounds, so if you're uninsured, get a watch. ~ Steven Colbert
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jmarkoff2
15 years ago
It's interesting to note that the historical King Richard was a homosexual but not at all prissy--he was a "homomasculine" who was built like a gorilla and killed many men in combat.
On the subject of manes, an science report I read about 8 years ago, dealt with examples of lions with too much testosterone, causing male pattern baldness (no manes) but increased desirability to lionesses, much like Sean Connery.
Since few if any cave paintings show maned cats, it is sometimes suspected that lions did not have manes until fairly recent times.
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am_buglet_82
15 years ago
"I always thought it was because PJ was unmanly... er... unlionly.
I mean, just look at him - he's as camp as a row of tents!"
That just made my night! Lol!
*reads above post*
Hi Jessica! (I think that's you) *waves*
-Amanda
"She will remember your heart when men are fairy tales in storybooks written by rabbits"
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tom_grainger88
12 years ago
Could the fact that no cave paintings show the manes not be down to the fact that only the female members of the pride hunt, so early hunter gatherers who were poorly armed and sometimes died just from hunting deer would have been lion meat if theyd gotten too close and may never have seen where the lions lived? Even hunters armed only with spears now would be better armed and coordinated than the hunters who made cave paintings. It just seems unlikely for it to be so recent in terms of evoloution. Thinking kind of when you take a bucket from the ocean, if theres no fish in it, it doesnt mean there are no fish in the ocean, type theory. The fact they never saw lions with manes doesnt mean there werent any.
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