Mmamoriri, a lioness in Okavango Delta, Botswana, is one of the growing cases of "genderfluid" wild cats in the area.
"Genderfluid," in this case, refers to how a female lion is able to showcase male traits, such as a mane, a deeper voice, and a near-male size.
The rare genetic structure of these female lions gives them the advantage in carrying out their responsibilities like hunting. Their male physique helps ward off other predators who might have plans of attacking their group.
"Two similarly aberrant Serengeti lionesses were outwardly female-they did not have manes, but were almost male-sized, and they challenged and fought unfamiliar males for territories as though they were males," said Luke Hunter, president of Panthera, a big-cat conservation group in Botswana, according to UNILAD.
Hunter shared this insight with the idea that the masculine lionesses in the area were not isolated from their prides.
One of the hypotheses by scientists about this matter is that these "genderfluid" lions were disrupted during their embryo stages. They also believe that these changed traits can be passed down to offsprings, according to White Wolf Pack.
As beautiful as Mmamoriri is, this is not actually the first species to exhibit this kind of adaptation. This has already been observed by other studies on some male deer species. While some regular male deer grow antlers, some do not, so they have more chances of mating with females, as they do not draw any threat to other males who focus on fighting for dominance before getting a mate, METRO reported.
With "genderfluid" cases coming into the spotlight, we could expect that the list of species exhibiting this will soon grow.
