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  • RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT

The furry carnivores that are the ultimate altruists

Meerkats help all those around them, regardless of the strength of familial ties.
An adult meerkat protecting two pups while sitting outside burrow in the Namib Desert

An adult meerkat watches all the pups in its social circle, both its own and others'. Credit: Paul Souders/Getty

Meerkats are helpful to all their group members because they are related to every animal in their social circle, according to a study of the adorably alert desert mammals.

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Nature 569, 9 (2019)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-019-01299-z

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