Evolution and development of sex differences in cooperative behavior in meerkats.

In cooperatively breeding birds, where helpers of both sexes assist with the provisioning and upbringing of offspring who are not their own, males tend to contribute more than females to rearing young. This sex difference has been attributed to paternity uncertainty, but could also occur because males contribute more where they are likely to remain and breed in their group of origin. In contrast to most birds, female meerkats (Suricata suricatta) are more likely to breed in their natal group than males.