The lion has a lot of hair on his head. Why doesn't the lioness?

For a long time, it has been thought that the reason why a lion has a thick and unkempt mane is to protect his neck from being bitten or scratched in combat and hunting.

However, scientists gradually realize that this idea seems unreasonable.

The first reason is that lions usually don't attack each other's necks when fighting. Instead, they usually bite their backs and hips. This means that their necks are unlikely to be exposed in the mouths of other lions. Therefore, it seems meaningless to plant bristles to protect a less dangerous part.

Another reason is related to the way lions hunt. When looking for food, they go out in groups, and all lions and lionesses cooperate in hunting in groups. Then, if the mane is to protect the lion when hunting, why is it that only the male lion has mane and the female lion doesn't?

Therefore, scientists denied the previous views and put forward new ones. This kind of thing often happens in the scientific community.

Some studies show that lionesses prefer dark manes to large ones. Because the light mane means that its owner, the lion, is facing some difficulties. For example, they may not have enough food or have some discomfort. The dark mane seems to indicate that this male lion faces less pressure to survive.

However, wearing dark clothes will be hotter than wearing white clothes. Similarly, dark mane will bring similar side effects. Being able to bear such side effects shows that this lion can better adapt to hot weather. This is especially important for lions living in warm climates.

Lions are not the only animals that choose their mates according to their appearance. Other examples are peacocks. Female peacocks prefer male peacocks with the largest and most gorgeous feathers on their tails.

On the contrary, we now think that manes, especially the color of manes, can help lions show their healthy physique to females. The lioness also uses this to determine who is more suitable to be the father of her baby. Lions' manes range from light gold to dark black. Lions with long black manes put other lions to shame. They often win battles. Moreover, the darker the lion's mane, the higher the testosterone content in its blood. Testosterone is the most important androgen.