The Dark Secrets of Female Meerkat Infanticide Revealed

Female meerkats exhibit aggressive behavior towards rivals, including evicting them and killing their offspring. A recent study suggests that dominant female meerkats possess unique gene expression not found in lower-status individuals. These high-ranking females have higher levels of androgen, associated with aggressiveness, and show an upregulation of genes related to inflammatory response, indicating better immune function. This genetic advantage helps them maintain their dominant status and reproductive success, resulting in a significant skew in offspring distribution within meerkat social groups. The study highlights the importance of social status in regulating immune genes and reproductive competition among social animals.