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 differe...