Question

select the word that means purpose.
why do male lions have manes? people used to think that a mane protected a lions neck during fights. in the late 1990s, though, craig packer found that a lions mane has a different function. packer, an expert on lion behavior, discovered that female lions prefer to mate with dark - maned lions. in the lion world, a dark mane is a signal that a lion is stronger and healthier.

Explanation:

The question asks for a word that means "purpose". In the context of the text about lion manes, the word "function" is used to describe what the mane does, which is similar to "purpose".

Answer:

function