Infanticide linked to wet-nursing in meerkats
Monday, October 7, 2013 - 11:31
in Biology & Nature
Subordinate female meerkats who try to breed often lose their offspring to infanticide by the dominant female or are evicted from the group. These recently bereaved or ostracised mothers may then become wet-nurses for the dominant female, an activity that may be a form of "rent" that allows them to remain in the community.