African Mole-rats (Bathyergidae): A Complex Radiation in Tropical Soils

Daele, Paul A.A.G. Van; Faulkes, Chris G.; Verheyen, Erik; Adriaens, Dominique

doi:10.1007/978-3-540-69276-8_27

Cited by 24 publications

(48 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…If anything, the most recent ancestors of the Damaraland mole-rat may have had weaker male-biased body mass dimorphisms. The Damaraland mole-rat (F. damarensis) is considered the most recently derived species in the African mole-rat family [79,80], yet it and its social congener the giant Zambian mole-rat, Fukomys mechowii, show strongly male-biased size dimorphisms [81], whereas weaker or absent sexual size dimorphisms have been reported in other species of Fukomys (e.g. the Mashona molerat, Fukomys darlingi [44]) and the social genus Cryptomys from which Fukomys branched [56,79,80].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Intra-sexual selection in cooperative mammals and birds: why are females not bigger and better armed?

Young

Bennett

2013

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

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In cooperatively breeding mammals and birds, intra-sexual reproductive competition among females may often render variance in reproductive success higher among females than males, leading to the prediction that intra-sexual selection in such species may have yielded the differential exaggeration of competitive traits among females. However, evidence to date suggests that female-biased reproductive variance in such species is rarely accompanied by female-biased sexual dimorphisms. We illustrate the problem with data from wild Damaraland mole-rat, Fukomys damarensis, societies: the variance in lifetime reproductive success among females appears to be higher than that among males, yet males grow faster, are much heavier as adults and sport larger skulls and incisors (the weapons used for fighting) for their body lengths than females, suggesting that intra-sexual selection has nevertheless acted more strongly on the competitive traits of males. We then consider potentially general mechanisms that could explain these disparities by tempering the relative intensity of selection for competitive trait exaggeration among females in cooperative breeders. Key among these may be interactions with kin selection that could nevertheless render the variance in inclusive fitness lower among females than males, and fundamental aspects of the reproductive biology of females that may leave reproductive conflict among females more readily resolved without overt physical contests.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Intra-sexual selection in cooperative mammals and birds: why are females not bigger and better armed?

Young

Bennett

2013

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

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“…(See Fig. 5 in Van Daele et al, 2007). If our molecular clock is correct then the radiations within the F. micklemi and F. damarensis clades are surprisingly young, which implies that they are the result of rapid consecutive cladogenetic events since the early Pleistocene.…”

Section: Biogeographical and Temporal Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 91%

“…Given the fact that Bathyergidae are one of the best studied rodent groups in Africa, the systematics and phylogeny of this family have been addressed by other studies (reviewed in Van Daele et al, 2007). Fukomys is the most recently recognised member of the six genera that constitute the Bathyergidae.…”

Section: Phylogenetic Analyses Chromosomal Diversification and Classmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cytochrome b sequence analysis reveals differential molecular evolution in African mole-rats of the chromosomally hyperdiverse genus Fukomys (Bathyergidae, Rodentia) from the Zambezian region

Daele

Verheyen

Brunain

et al. 2007

Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution

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African mole-rats (Bathyergidae, Rodentia) of the (eu)social genus Fukomys are one of the most speciose mammal genera endemic to Sub-Saharan Africa. Fukomys distributed in the Zambezian phytochorion is characterized by extreme chromosomal variation (2n = 40-78). We inferred a molecular phylogeny of Zambezian Fukomys to resolve the interrelationships and the evolutionary history of the known chromosomal races. We sequenced the entire cytochrome b gene (1140 bp) for a total of 66 specimens representing 18 karyotypical races from Zambia. An additional 31 sequences were retrieved from GenBank including data on all other chromosomal races. The haplotypes belonging to a small chromosomal race from Salujinga cluster with the Fukomys mechowii (Giant mole-rat) haplotypes. Differential degrees of chromosomal variation are observed among the major mole-rat clades, which is most pertinent when comparing the central Zambezian Fukomys micklemi and the northern Zambezian Fukomys whytei clades. The karyotypically hyper-diverse (12 known chromosomal races) Fukomys micklemi clade shows low levels of cytochrome b sequence divergence. Within the F. whytei clade we find a more conservative pattern of chromosomal diversification (three known chromosomal races) while the levels of sequence divergence are much higher then in the F. micklemi clade. Our results suggest that chromosomal changes may drive phyletic divergence and, eventually, speciation. The observed cladogenetic events during the Plio-Pleistocene within the F. mechowii, F. whytei, F. damarensis and F. micklemi clades appear to coincide with climatically mediated speciation bursts in other savannah dwelling mammals, including hominids. Based on the molecular data presented, combined with morphological and chromosomal data, the taxonomic implication seems to be that Fukomys may contain several (undescribed) cryptic species.

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“…Six genera are currently recognized namely Heterocephalus, Heliophobius, Bathyergus, Georychus, Cryptomys and Fukomys (Honeycutt et al 1987;Janecek et al 1992;Burda 2000;Faulkes et al 2004;Ingram et al 2004;Van Daele et al 2007;Kock et al 2009). The social structures exhibited by these genera appear to be linked to ecological factors (Bennett 1988; but see Burda 2000).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Distributional range, ecology, and mating system of the Cape mole-rat (Georychus capensis) family Bathyergidae

2017

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1Distributional range, ecology and mating system of the Cape mole-rat, Georychus capensis family Bathyergidae J. H. Visser, N. C. Bennett and B. Jansen van Vuuren AbstractInterpopulation variation in life-history patterns are influenced by intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Life-history patterns have been intensely studied in the eusocial African bathyergid species, largely neglecting the solitary species. Of these solitary genera, the Cape mole-rat, Georychus capensis (Pallas 1778), is endemic to South Africa with a disjunct distribution across its range. Knowledge regarding this species is rudimentary and therefore this study aimed to investigate the current distribution of the species with particular attention to common ecological variables, differences in body size between localities and sexes, as well as its reproduction and mating system. Georychus is a habitat specialist restricted to specific ecological areas. A lack of sexual size dimorphism and correlation between male testis size and the number of females in the population, suggests a polygynous mating system, facilitated by the spatial distribution of the sexes. A positive relationship between male testes size and the percentage of females in populations sampled suggests that larger sperm reserves (i.e., larger testes) are required in populations with a higher percentage of females. In addition, mating variables (testicular size and litter size) are linked to ecological factors (elevation, aridity, soil-and vegetation type) which could impact mate searching, mating success and food resources.

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African Mole-rats (Bathyergidae): A Complex Radiation in Tropical Soils

Cited by 24 publications

References 29 publications

Intra-sexual selection in cooperative mammals and birds: why are females not bigger and better armed?

Intra-sexual selection in cooperative mammals and birds: why are females not bigger and better armed?

Cytochrome b sequence analysis reveals differential molecular evolution in African mole-rats of the chromosomally hyperdiverse genus Fukomys (Bathyergidae, Rodentia) from the Zambezian region

Distributional range, ecology, and mating system of the Cape mole-rat (Georychus capensis) family Bathyergidae

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