Data from: Dispersal decreases survival but increases reproductive opportunities for subordinates in a cooperative breeder

In most socially structured populations, the formation of new groups
depends on the survival and reproduction of dispersing individuals.
Quantifying vital rates in dispersers, however, is difficult due to
logistic challenges of following wide-ranging animals. Here, using data
from free-ranging meerkats (Suricata suricatta), we estimated survival and
reproduction of dispersing and established resident females. Meerkat
groups consist of a dominant pair and several subordinate helpers. Female
helpers are evicted from their resident groups by the dominant female,
allowing her to monopolize reproduction, and evicted females may form
small dispersing coalitions. As in established resident groups, one female
is behaviourally dominant in parties of dispersing females. We compared
the survival, birth, and recruitment rates of dominant and
subordinate females in dispersing coalitions to those of dominant and
subordinate females in resident groups. We further compared the
frequencies of different mortality causes (e.g., predation, disease)
between dispersers and residents. For dispersers, we assessed if survival
rates varied with dispersal distance and between transience and settlement
stages of dispersal. During dispersal and the first four months after new
group formation, survival is lower for all females compared to established
resident groups. At the same time, subordinates in disperser groups have
higher birth rates than those in established groups, which rarely breed
successfully. This may partly offset the survival costs of dispersal to
subordinate females. Further studies of dispersal based on direct
observation of dispersing animals are needed to explore the costs and
benefits of dispersal in species with contrasting breeding systems.