Work behaviour and biting performance in the cooperative breeding Micklem’s mole-rat - Fukomys micklemi (Bathyergidae, Rodentia)

Publication date: Available online 20 February 2019Source: Mammalian BiologyAuthor(s): P.A.A.G. Van Daele, N. Desmet, R. Å umbera, D. AdriaensAbstractFor the first time social organisation was studied in a family of wild-caught Micklem’s mole-rat Fukomys micklemi (Sekute cytotype 2n = 56) from Zambia. Fukomys mole-rats are chisel-tooth diggers, using the incisors to excavate burrow systems. Data were collected on work behaviour and analysed against morphological variables and biting performance, the latter especially with regards to the work related to the use of the feeding apparatus. In accordance with patterns observed in several other species of African mole-rats (Bathyergidae, Rodentia), the data support the idea that Micklem’s mole-rats are cooperative breeders, exhibiting a highly developed social system. Apart from a reproductive skew in Micklem’s mole-rats, we document a skew in the labour effort, with breeders being among the least active animals. Although there was considerable variation across helpers in the amount and the type of work performed, no apparent caste polyethism could be observed. We argue that taken together with evidence from various other recent studies the notion of a caste system represents a subjective subdivision in African mole-rats. Though biting performance was strongly correlated with morphological (size i.e. body mass, head length head height) variables, we found no clear significant relation between the extent of an individualâ€...
Source: Mammalian Biology - Category: Biology Source Type: research