Cost Benefit Analysis in Animal Behavior

Cost benefit analysis is a concept encapsulating the idea that animals’ traits all have benefits and costs. If the costs of a trait outweigh the benefits, that trait will decrease in the population. If the benefits of a trait outweigh the costs, that trait will decrease in the population. For example, group hunting in lions is a trait essential to their survival. A few benefits of this behavior are that the lions may hunt bigger prey, conserve energy, and decrease risk of being killed. Some costs of this trait might include the lions being more easily spotted by prey, having to share the food with the pride, and the spread of disease is more likely if hunting with diseased lions. For this behavior trait to remain, it must mean that the benefits of group hunting outweigh the costs.