Editing Lion (section)

===Mane===
{{multiple image|align=right|direction=vertical |image1=Lion (Panthera leo) male 6y.jpg|caption1=A six-year-old male in [[Phinda Private Game Reserve]] |image2=Lion au repos parc pendjari.jpg|caption2=Young male in Pendjari National Park}}
The male lion's mane is the most recognisable feature of the species.<ref name=Hemmer>{{cite journal |author=Hemmer, H. |year=1974 |title=Untersuchungen zur Stammesgeschichte der Pantherkatzen (''Pantherinae'') Teil 3. Zur Artgeschichte des Löwen ''Panthera (Panthera) leo'' (Linnaeus, 1758) |journal=Veröffentlichungen der Zoologischen Staatssammlung |volume=17| pages=167–280 |url=https://archive.org/stream/verfentlichungen171974zool#page/178/mode/2up}}</ref> It may have evolved around 320,000–190,000 years ago.<ref name=Yamaguchietal2004Mane>{{Cite journal |last1=Yamaguchi |first1=N. |last2=Cooper |first2=A. |last3=Werdelin |first3=L. |last4=MacDonald |first4=D. W. |date=2004 |title=Evolution of the mane and group-living in the lion (''Panthera leo''): a review |journal=Journal of Zoology |volume=263 |issue=4 |pages=329–342 |doi=10.1017/S0952836904005242}}</ref> It grows downwards and backwards, covering most of the head, neck, shoulders, and chest. The mane is typically brownish and tinged with yellow, rust, and black hairs.<ref name=Haas2005/> Mutations in the genes [[microphthalmia-associated transcription factor]] and [[tyrosinase]] are possibly responsible for the colour of manes.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Tefera |first=M. |date=2003 |title=Phenotypic and reproductive characteristics of lions (''Panthera leo'') at Addis Ababa Zoo |journal=Biodiversity & Conservation |volume=12 |issue=8 |pages=1629–1639 |doi=10.1023/A:1023641629538|bibcode=2003BiCon..12.1629T }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Barazandeh |first1=M. |last2=Kriti |first2=D. |last3=Fickel |first3=J. |last4=Nislow |first4=C. |date=2024 |title=The Addis Ababa Lions: Whole-genome sequencing of a rare and precious population |journal=Genome Biology and Evolution |volume=16 |issue=2 |doi=10.1093/gbe/evae021 |pmc=10871700 |pmid=38302110}}</ref> It starts growing when lions enter adolescence, when [[testosterone]] levels increase, and reach their full size at around four years old.<ref>[[#Packer|Packer]], p. 148.</ref> Cool ambient temperatures in European and North American zoos may result in a heavier mane.<ref name=BarnettYamaguchi2006/> On average, Asiatic lions have sparser manes than African lions.<ref name=Menon>{{Cite book |last=Menon |first=V. |year=2003 |title=A Field Guide to Indian Mammals |location=New Delhi, India |publisher=Dorling Kindersley India |isbn=978-0-14-302998-4}}</ref>{{page needed | date=April 2025}}

This feature likely evolved to signal the [[fitness (biology)|fitness]] of males to females. Males with darker manes appear to have greater reproductive success and are more likely to remain in a pride for longer. They have longer and thicker hair and higher testosterone levels, but they are also more vulnerable to heat stress.<ref name=PeytonPacker1992>{{cite journal |last1=Peyton |first1=P. M. |last2=Packer |first2=C. |year=2002 |title=Sexual selection, temperature, and the lion's mane |journal=Science |volume=297 |issue=5585 |pages=1339–1343 |doi=10.1126/science.1073257 |pmid=12193785 |bibcode=2002Sci...297.1339W |s2cid=15893512}}</ref><ref>[[#Packer|Packer]], pp. 137, 145.</ref> The core body temperature does apparently not increase regardless of sex, season, feeding time, length and colour of mane, but only surface temperature is affected.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Trethowan |first1=P. |last2=Fuller |first2=A. |last3=Haw |first3=A. |last4=Hart |first4=T. |last5=Markham |first5=A. |last6=Loveridge |first6=A. |last7=Hetem |first7=R. |last8=du Preez |first8=B. |last9=Macdonald |first9=D. W. |date=2017 |title=Getting to the core: Internal body temperatures help reveal the ecological function and thermal implications of the lions' mane |journal=Ecology and Evolution |volume=7 |issue=1 |pages=253–262 |doi=10.1002/ece3.2556 |pmc=5214092 |pmid=28070288 |bibcode=2017EcoEv...7..253T}}</ref> Unlike in other felid species, female lions consistently interact with multiple males at once.<ref>[[#Packer|Packer]], pp. 145.</ref> Another hypothesis suggests that the mane also serves to protect the neck in fights, but this is disputed.<ref>[[#Schaller|Schaller]], pp. 360.</ref><ref>[[#Packer|Packer]], pp. 133.</ref> During fights, including those involving maneless females and adolescents, the neck is not targeted as much as the face, back, and hindquarters. Injured lions also begin to lose their manes.<ref>[[#Packer|Packer]], pp. 133, 137, 145, 148.</ref> 

Almost all male lions in [[Pendjari National Park]] are either maneless or have very short manes.<ref name=Schoeetal2010>{{cite book |author1=Schoe, M. |author2=Sogbohossou, E. A. |author3=Kaandorp, J. |author4=De Iongh, H. |title=Progress Report—collaring operation Pendjari Lion Project, Benin |publisher=The Dutch Zoo Conservation Fund (for funding the project) |year=2010}}</ref> [[Maneless lion]]s have also been reported in Senegal, in [[Sudan]]'s [[Dinder National Park]] and in [[Tsavo East National Park]], Kenya.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Trivedi |first=B. P. |title=Are maneless Tsavo Lions prone to male pattern baldness? |magazine=National Geographic |year=2005 |url=http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/04/0412_020412_TVtsavolions.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020605184139/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/04/0412_020412_TVtsavolions.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=5 June 2002 |access-date=7 July 2007}}</ref> [[Castration|Castrated]] lions often have little to no mane because the removal of the [[gonad]]s inhibits testosterone production.<ref>{{Cite journal |first=L. |last=Munson |date=2006 |title=Contraception in felids |journal=Theriogenology |pmid=16626799 |volume=66 |issue=1 |pages=126–134 |doi=10.1016/j.theriogenology.2006.03.016}}</ref> Rarely, both wild and captive lionesses have manes.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Gruber |first=K. |date=2022 |access-date=19 November 2023 |title=Five wild lionesses grow a mane and start acting like males |url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/2106866-five-wild-lionesses-grow-a-mane-and-start-acting-like-males/ |magazine=New Scientist |archive-date=11 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240411033205/https://www.newscientist.com/article/2106866-five-wild-lionesses-grow-a-mane-and-start-acting-like-males/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last=Young |first=L. J. |date=2016 |access-date=19 November 2023 |title=The rare case of a lioness with a mane |url=https://www.popsci.com/science/zoo-lioness-mane/ |magazine=Popular Science |archive-date=19 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231119185541/https://www.popsci.com/science/zoo-lioness-mane/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Increased testosterone may be the cause of maned lionesses reported in northern Botswana.<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=National Geographic |last=Dell'Amore |first=C. |date=2016 |access-date=18 April 2016 |title=No, those aren't male lions mating. One is likely a female |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/160418-lions-mating-africa-animals-science|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210228190519/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/160418-lions-mating-africa-animals-science|url-status=dead|archive-date=28 February 2021}}</ref>