Group territoriality and the benefits of pride living

Drawing on decades of Serengeti tracking, this study mapped how pride size and territory location determine reproductive success. Larger prides won contests over prime real estate, particularly river confluences rich in prey and water, and these hotspots conferred lasting fitness advantages that were inherited across generations. The work quantified the landscape value of territory and showed that intergroup competition, not just resource abundance, structures lion society. It provided strong evidence that collective territorial defence is a central benefit of group living, reinforcing the view that lion sociality evolved largely through competition between rival groups over defensible high-quality space.