How to pronounce "subordinate"

because in reality, meerkats are anything but random particles.

But it's also useful,

because it tells us that extreme simplicity

in movement rules at the individual level

can result in a great deal of complexity

at the level of the group.

So again, that's simplifying complexity.

I would like to conclude

on what this means for the whole species.

When the dominant female

gives way to a subordinate,

it's not out of courtesy.

In fact, the dominant female

is extremely important for the cohesion of the group.

If she dies on the road, the whole group is at risk.

So this behavior of risk avoidance

is a very old evolutionary response.

These meerkats are replicating an evolved tactic

that is thousands of generations old,

and they're adapting it to a modern risk,

in this case a road built by humans.