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Subject: Re: The Lions of Tsavo
From: sevenclans posted Tue, Nov 3 2009, 11:07pm 
I would like to mention two conditions that might help explain maneless man-eating lions.
First manelessness can indicate low testosterone levels. Low testosterone levels can cause an animal to mature more slowly which could explain the Tsvo lion’s large size.
Secondly, when a dominant lion is defeated for control of a pride, the lion’s mane will sometimes fall out due to the stress. A male lion with no lioness to hunt for them might start to prey on people.
Either of these conditions could be a factor in these cases.
Subject: Re: The Lions of Tsavo
From: PaleoChick posted Wed, Nov 4 2009, 12:17pm 
Sevenclans is right about the low testosterone levels. And someone mentioned above about hunting. Hunting only males with large manes is a form of artificial selection causing evolution to occur and produce males with no manes because they get to reproduce more. Males with no manes would not happen naturally, even with the hot climate. No matter how well suited to the environment an animal is, it is completely worthless if the animal doesn't reproduce. Studies have shown female lions are attracted to males with thick manes, even though its not the best for hot climates, because thick manes are a sign of good health and testosterone. A male could stress, like sevenclan said, and cause hair loss and general unhealthiness. So a combination of hunting caused artificial selection, and low testosterone levels decreasing the thickness of the mane causing stress in turn causing hair loss because the male wouldn't have a mate to reproduce with and to hunt for him, could be the reason for absent manes in man eaters in my opinion.
Subject: Re: The Lions of Tsavo
From: Draugluin posted Wed, Nov 4 2009, 11:07pm 
Science has proven no such thing! In 2002 scientists from the field museum went to Tsavo to study the pack dynamics of maneless lions and found that it in no way affects their attraction from females. By contrast the harems of Tsavo lions are larger than those of their maned Serengeti brothers with one male ruling a pack of 7-8 females as opposed to 2-4 males ruling a pack of 6-7 females.

Here's the article if you wish to read it.
Subject: Re: The Lions of Tsavo
From: PaleoChick posted Fri, Nov 6 2009, 12:09pm 
I have heard that multiple times on programs on Discovery and National Geographic. And if females aren't attracted to males with large manes, then how did they come to exist? They are not useful in the environment of which they live, they would have no reason at all to develop them, other than through sexual selection.
Subject: Re: The Lions of Tsavo
From: Draugluin posted Fri, Nov 6 2009, 4:40pm 
Protection during fights perhaps?
Subject: Re: The Lions of Tsavo
From: PaleoChick posted Sat, Nov 7 2009, 7:27pm 
Nope

"We addressed our hypotheses by combing the records for descriptions of injuries and eliminating those wounds that were not inflicted by other lions. From these observations we created a database that included the locations and survival rates for wounds to males, females and subadult lions. These data did not support the mane-as-shield hypothesis. Wounds to the mane area were no more frequent or lethal than those to other parts of the body. The observations were true not only for adult males but also for females and subadults, which lack manes. It seems that a lion’s teeth provide more than enough incentive to avoid tangling with the front end."

My Source

http://almandine.geol.wwu.edu/~dave/courses/2005/spring/204/other/Lion
%27sMane.pdf


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