Research overview: the lion mane as a signal of male quality

The lion's mane is one of the most conspicuous ornaments among mammals, and research has explored what it advertises. This overview synthesizes experimental and observational work suggesting that mane length and darkness signal a male's condition, testosterone, and fighting ability, influencing both female choice and male assessment of rivals. It reviews how darker manes correlate with higher quality but also with greater heat load, creating a trade-off that may explain regional variation, including the sparse manes of lions in hot, arid areas. The synthesis connects ornament expression to the social and physical environment, showing that the mane is shaped by sexual selection tempered by thermoregulatory costs. For wildlife photographers it explains why mane appearance varies so much across populations and even within a male's lifetime as his condition changes.