Is it true that the lionesses have no mane?

The belief is widespread that only Lviv happens with a magnificent mane, and Lionesses cannot boast of such a beautiful hairstyle. We decided to check what scientists know about this.

To potential manes of lionesses many Internet users Show interest at discussion The Soviet animated film “Vacations of Boniface”, in which the grandmother of the main character had a very pronounced mane. This gave the basis for a wide variety of suspicions: perhaps she is a transfeminic lioness or a grandfather-crossry. This theory is quite popular: for example, fast In the community "Lepers" in VKontakte gained more than 22,000 likes and more than a thousand reposts. Doubt the gender affiliation of the grandmother of Boniface and the media (Lenta.ru - “Boniface, Boniface's grandmother, saw transvestite*”), and entertainment portals (Adme - "11 blunders in our favorite cartoons, which we noticed only now", Pikabu - "And the grandmother of Leo Boniface Male"). Interested in who it is - grandparents, and users of sites from questions And answers.

Anatomical differences between males and females of the same biological species called sexual dimorphism. Dimorphism can be constant or arise only during courtship and mating. Most often, dimorphism is expressed in outwardly noticeable features: a different color and size or other structure of individual parts of the body. This is logical, since it serves primarily to attract attention of the opposite sex. However, there is and Exceptions: For example, males of a three-legged gasterosteus aculeatus and Triturus Viride-SCCENS Triton differ from females of the kidneys, and males of the South Asian fish Psilorhynchus floating bubble have much larger and has a more complex structure than females.

In many cases, males are larger, more vividly painted or have additional formations or growths. However, some species of females are larger or brighter. For example, u deep -sea broots Ceratias Holboelli females are 120 cm in length, and males are only 16 cm. During mating, the male literally grows to the female and remains attached to her for life. Thus, two problems of these deep inhabitants are solved at once: the search for a partner in almost complete darkness and providing food.

The mane of Lviv is also an example of sexual dimorphism. Scientists They believethat initially the lions were free, and the chic hairstyle got 190,000 - 320,000 years ago. Mane grows Lviv in the period of puberty, that is, approximately at the age of one year. Scientists suggestthat the mane has three important functions: it serves as a kind of protection in battle, allows other representatives of the species information about the combat effectiveness of the individual and attracts the opposite sex. Craig Packer, professor of ecology, evolution and behavior from the University of Minnesota in 2004 provedthat the color and length of the mane play an important role in the hierarchy. Four mannequins of a lion were made for the experiment: the “short -cut blond” Lotaryo, the “blond with a long mane” Fabio, the “short -haired brunette” Romeo and the “long -haired brunette” Julio. Then these mannequins were placed in the wild under the supervision of cameras, and scientists evaluated how real lions would try to interact with new “relatives”. Females clearly preferred the brunettes of Romeo and Hulio, demonstrating sexually active behavior, while the males tried to avoid them, but attacked Lothario and Fabio - Lviv with a bright mane.

At the same time, lions completely without or with a minimumly expressed mane Meet And now. Most of all such individuals can be found in the Kenysk National Park Tsavo. Scientists explain their difference from other representatives of the species by other climatic features - in the extremely hot climate, it is easier for lions to do without a chic decoration. Moreover, in the savannah with thickets of prickly shrubs of the mane, it will only prevent the hunt, as it will constantly get confused in the branches. However, not only in Kenya there are free lions, they Meet Also in Benin, Sudan and Senegale. 

In addition to climate, freeness can be due to other factors. In particular, supposedthat the increased level of male sex hormone testosterone plays a role, which in people indirectly can lead to baldness. This hypothesis is indirectly confirmed by the fact that castrated lions Stop Produce testosterone and quickly lose the mane.

Thus, a lion without a mane is a phenomenon, though an infrequent, but not a pathology. But can there be a lioness with a mane? As evidenced by individual descriptions, maybe. In 2016, scientists published article In the "African Journal of Ecology", in which they talked about five lionesses from Botswans who acquired a mane.

In addition to the presence of mane, lioness Demonstrated Male behavior - in a characteristic way, they threw the territory, published a “male” roar, did not pregnant, although they mated with the males, and also tried to have sexual intercourse with females. Moreover, one of the observed lionesses, designated by scientists as SAF05, in revenge for the theft of carcasses of the zebra she had killed two lion thiefs. This behavior is extremely uncharacteristic for females, but it is common in males. Scientists suggested that the matter is the increased production of testosterone (perhaps, since we are talking about one population genetically determined). This correlates with the fact that women have a high level of male hormones often It becomes The reason for the anovulation (lack of ovulation in reproductive age), which, in turn, leads to the impossibility of becoming pregnant.

However, usually the appearance of the mane does not occur at once in several individuals in the pride, but in one. For example, in 2011 Emma, the lioness from the zoo in South Africa, at the 13th year of life began to get a mane. Doctors found outthat the reason for the failure of the ovary was conducted by the animal ovariectomy - an operation to remove the ovaries, and gradually the mane of Emma fell. The lioness was not barren, earlier she was pregnant and successfully gave birth.

In 2017 by the mane Get out 18-year-old Lioness Bridget from the Oklahom-City zoo in the United States. Doctors suggested that the case was again in testosterone, but they were mistaken. Bridget testosterone indicators were no different from the norm and the level of this hormone in the blood of her TIA sister. However, Bridget had a much higher level of cortisol and Androstendion, which are produced by the adrenal glands. Scientists suggested that the cause of such changes is a benign tumor secreting hormones in one of the adrenal glands of the lioness. Unfortunately, in April 2018, Bridget had to put up due to the developed heart failure.

At the end of 2020 by the mane I became Zuri, an 18-year-old lioness from the zoo of the city of Topik in Kansas, get. Earlier, in October, the male Leo died in this zoo, and since then the females have been in a completely female pride. A blood test for hormones was not taken from ZURI, while it is in good form for its age - it has a kidney and arthritis characteristic of age -related cats, but both pathologies under the control of doctors. At the same time, scientists do not see a clear connection between a purely female pride and a grown mane. “I do not think that in fact there is some kind of evolutionary [reason for this], whether it is the absence of males, or too much competition with other females, or something like that. I think this is just a coincidence ” - said Chris Everatt, an ecologist from a global organization for the preservation of wild cats Panthera.

Thus, lionesses with a mane are a phenomenon, although not as common as free lions, but found both in the wild and in zoos. The reasons for the appearance of hryvnia in females by zoologists have not been fully studied, among the already identified - some endocrine disorders. It is also possible that genetics or the absence of a male in the pride plays its role. By transferring the data known to science to the cartoon, Grandmother Boniface with the mane looks unusual, but this does not indicate that she is a transfemenic lioness or cross -resser. Perhaps she has a benign tumor of the adrenal glands or age -related violations in the ovarian work, or maybe she is just a widow, because there is not a word about Grandfather Boniface in the cartoon.

*To transfer the context, we used a literal quote with an incorrect and obsolete word from the original source. “Verified” does not support linguistic discrimination in materials where the editorial position is expressed, uses neutral expressions recommended by the reference "We don't say that", in particular, not “transvestite”, but “crossdresser”.

Image on the cover: Frauke Feind from the site Pixabay

Not true

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