Behavioural change during dispersal and its relationship to survival and reproduction in a cooperative breeder

(1) The ability of dispersing individuals to adjust their behaviour to changing conditions is instrumental in overcoming challenges and reducing dispersal costs, consequently increasing overall dispersal success. Understanding how dispersers’ behaviour and physiology change during the dispersal process, and how they differ from resident individuals, can shed light on the mechanisms by which dispersers increase survival and maximise reproduction. (2) By analysing individual behaviour and concentrations of faecal glucocorticoid metabolites (fGCM), a stress-associated biomarker, we sought to identify the proximate causes behind differences in survival and reproduction between dispersing and resident meerkats (Suricata suricatta). (3) We used data collected on 67 dispersing and 108 resident females to investigate (i) which individual, social, and environmental factors are correlated to foraging and vigilance, and whether the role of such factors differs among dispersal phases, and between d...