Naked mole rats are fascinating creatures that live underground and have unique traits, such as insensitivity to certain pain and a long lifespan. They are eusocial, meaning only one female, the queen, breeds in a colony of over a hundred. Scientists previously thought the queen maintained control through bullying, but recent research from the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in Berlin reveals that a chemical scent enforces this social order. Mole rats have a highly developed sense of smell, with around 1200 olfactory receptor genes, which helps them navigate their dark environments. Each colony has a unique chemical signature, and mole rats can identify strangers by scent, often leading to aggressive behavior. This discovery highlights the importance of olfactory communication in maintaining the social structure of naked mole rat colonies.
QUESTION: How might understanding the role of scent in animal societies change the way we think about communication in our own lives?
Naked mole-rat queens use a chemical signal to suppress fertility in rivals
