Egalitarianism in Female African Lions
Top Cited Papers
- 27 July 2001
- journal article
- other
- Published by American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Science
- Vol. 293 (5530) , 690-693
- https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1062320
Abstract
Because most cooperative societies are despotic, it has been difficult to test models of egalitarianism. Female African lions demonstrate a unique form of plural breeding in which companions consistently produce similar numbers of surviving offspring. Consistent with theoretical predictions from models of reproductive skew, female lions are unable to control each other's reproduction because of high costs of fighting and low access to each other's newborn cubs. A female also lacks incentives to reduce her companions' reproduction, because her own survival and reproduction depend on group territoriality and synchronous breeding. Consequently, female relationships are highly symmetrical, and female lions are “free agents” who only contribute to communal care when they have cubs of their own.Keywords
This publication has 37 references indexed in Scilit:
- PartnershipJournal of Theoretical Biology, 2001
- Cooperation, Control, and Concession in Meerkat GroupsScience, 2001
- TESTS OFREPRODUCTIVE-SKEWMODELS INSOCIALINSECTSAnnual Review of Entomology, 2001
- The Influence of Dominance Rank on the Reproductive Success of Female ChimpanzeesScience, 1997
- Proportional hazards tests and diagnostics based on weighted residualsBiometrika, 1994
- Roaring and numerical assessment in contests between groups of female lions, Panthera leoAnimal Behaviour, 1994
- A molecular genetic analysis of kinship and cooperation in African lionsNature, 1991
- Payoffs and strategies in territorial contests: ESS analyses of two ecotypes of the spiderAgelenopsis apertaEvolutionary Ecology, 1988
- Adaptations of Female Lions to Infanticide by Incoming MalesThe American Naturalist, 1983
- The role of asymmetries in animal contestsAnimal Behaviour, 1981