Selfish partners: resource partitioning in male coalitions of Asiatic lions

= 44) were made on 11 male coalitions and 9 female prides in Gir, to assess resource distribution within and among different sized male coalitions. Information from 39 males was used to estimate annual tenure-holding probabilities. Single males had smaller tenures and appropriated fewer matings than coalition males. Pronounced dominance hierarchies were observed within coalitions, with one partner getting more than 70% of all matings and 47% more food. Competition between coalition partners at kills increased with decline in prey size, increase in coalition size and the appetite states of the males. However, immediate subordinates in coalitions had higher reproductive fitness than single males. Declining benefits to partners with increasing coalition size, with individuals below the immediate subordinates having fitness comparable to single males, suggest to an optimal coalition size of 2 lions. Lions under different competitive selection in Gir show behavioral plasticity to form hierarchical coalitions, wherein partners utilize resources asymmetrically, yet coalesce for personal gains.