In a group of meerkats, a male gives a number of alarm calls that in total save the lives of two sisters as well as three offspring of another sibling. But by giving these alarm calls, the male is exposed to risk of attack from predators and eventually is killed by a hawk. As a result of a shortened life, he does not produce three surviving offspring that he otherwise would have had. According to Hamilton's rule, is this alarm-calling behavior adaptive?

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Hamilton's rule suggests that a gene for a behavior will spread if the indirect fitness benefits (benefits to relatives) outweigh the direct fitness costs (costs to the individual). In this case, the male meerkat's alarm calls saved close relatives (two sisters and three offspring of another sibling), providing significant indirect fitness benefits. Despite the direct fitness cost of not producing three offspring due to his early death, the genetic contribution to the next generation through his relatives' survival can make the behavior adaptive.

In a Group of Meerkats, a Male Gives a Number