Eusociality has evolved independently in two genera of bathyergid mole-rats — but occurs in no other subterranean mammal

@article{Jarvis2005EusocialityHE,
  title={Eusociality has evolved independently in two genera of bathyergid mole-rats — but occurs in no other subterranean mammal},
  author={Jennifer U. M. Jarvis and Nigel Charles Bennett},
  journal={Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology},
  year={2005},
  volume={33},
  pages={253-260}
}
SummaryExtensive field and laboratory studies show that Damaraland mole-rats, like naked mole-rats, have an extreme form of vertebrate sociality. Colonies usually contain 2 reproductives and up to 39 non-breeding siblings, 90% of whom live a socially-induced lifetime of sterility; they remain in the natal colony, forage for food, defend the colony and care for successive litters. Although there is heightened dispersal following good rainfall, the majority of adult non-reproductives remain in… Expand
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Mechanism for establishing and maintaining the reproductive hierarchy in a eusocial mammal, the Damaraland mole-rat
TLDR
Results indicate that the nature of the interaction within the first 20 min of meeting determines the long-term sexual relationship between pairs of Damaraland mole-rats, suggesting a mechanistic basis for establishment and maintenance of the reproductive hierarchy in this eusocial species. Expand
Damaraland and naked mole-rats: Convergence of social evolution
TLDR
African mole-rats (Family: Bathyergidae) have become well established as a model taxon with which to investigate the evolutionary origins and maintenance of cooperative breeding and there have been convergent gains and losses of sociality within the family. Expand
Aggression and motivation to disperse in eusocial naked mole-rats, Heterocephalus glaber
TLDR
The data suggest that aggressive naked mole-rat queens motivate dispersal in their daughters and that female dispersers show traits consistent with successful queens (e.g. aggression), demonstrating that motivation to leave the colony, and not anticipatory reproductive maturation, is the key to successful dispersal. Expand
Social Behavior in Naked Mole-Rats: Individual Differences in Phenotype and Proximate Mechanisms of Mammalian Eusociality.
Naked mole-rats (Heterocephalus glaber) are small rodents native to east Africa, living in subterranean colonies of up to 300 individuals. Within each colony, reproduction is restricted to a single… Expand
MORPHOLOGICAL DIVERGENCE OF BREEDERS AND HELPERS IN WILD DAMARALAND MOLE‐RAT SOCIETIES
TLDR
These findings reveal a wider role for morphological divergence within vertebrate societies and, as Damaraland mole‐rats neither live in unusually large groups nor inbreed, suggest that circumstances favoring the evolution of such specializations may be more widespread among vertebrates than previously supposed. Expand
The Long-Lived Queen: Reproduction and Longevity in Female Eusocial Damaraland Mole-Rats (Fukomys damarensis)
TLDR
Assessment of mark-recapture data over 13 years in 12 colonies of Damaraland mole-rats found that queens were recaptured up to 8.5 years after initial capture, suggesting that a colony queen lives longer than her non-reproductive subordinates. Expand
Energetics reveals physiologically distinct castes in a eusocial mammal
TLDR
It is suggested that infrequent workers constitute a physiologically distinct dispersing caste, the members of which, instead of contributing to the work of the colony and helping the queen to reproduce, build up their own body reserves in preparation for dispersal and reproduction when environmental conditions are suitable. Expand
The long-lived queen: reproduction and longevity in female eusocial Damaraland mole-rats (Fukomys damarensis)
The inverse relationship between reproduction and lifespan is one of the main concepts of life history theory. This association has been observed in most taxa, although exceptions have been found in… Expand
Kin structure, ecology and the evolution of social organization in shrimp: a comparative analysis
TLDR
It is shown that eusocial species are more abundant, occupy more sponges and have broader host ranges than non-social sister species, and that these patterns are robust to correction for the generally smaller body sizes of eussocial species. Expand
Allometry of reproduction, weapon size, and colony size in social shrimp: A comparative analysis of four eusocial species in genus Synalpheus
TLDR
Bivariate regressions and structural equation modeling were used to characterize relationships between queen fecundity, size of the major chela, and colony size, shedding light on the relationship between individual success and social organization in sponge-dwelling shrimp. Expand
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