Some female meerkats have a brutal, bloodthirsty streak, and now we may know why

Meerkats may look cute, but the dominant females are notoriously deadly and will kill female relatives and eat their offspring to suppress reproduction and eliminate future competition. Now, scientists may finally know what helps these murderous matriarchs become dominant — and stay on top.

In a new preprint study posted to the online server bioRxiv, researchers have identified a sex-specific signature of dominance in female meerkats that gives them super-immunity, possibly helping them to maintain their dominant position.

These immune genes were found to closely resemble immunity genes seen in wild male baboons (Papio) where physical competition is crucial to determining rank hierarchies and mating. This suggests immunity and social status are intertwined.