Meerkat society is predicated on ruthless reproductive competition between closely related females who, when pregnant, will readily kill and eat each other’s pups. This baby-eating bonanza is kept in check by the omnipotence of a dominant female with a zero-tolerance policy for breeding subordinates. Her goal is to prevent any of her female relatives reproducing during her reign, and rope them into caring for her babies instead. This removes any unwanted competition for her pups and protects them from being eaten. It also allows her to invest all her energy into raising more litters than she
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