The ecology of carnivore social behaviour

Diverse selective pressures have contributed to the evolution of the varied social groups of carnivores: the benefits of strength of numbers for defence of kills and territory, and in the hunting and killing of large prey; the ability to intimidate predators and to be vigilant against their approaches; the potential for information transfer and social learning, and a suite of alloparental behaviour patterns. Each of these may operate within the constraints upon group size and home range size set by patterns of resource dispersion. Between and within species, the magnitudes of costs and benefits attendant upon group life vary with circumstances and between individuals