Subterranean mole rat

Rodentia (4/30) Of the 2000 or so species, none is suspected of loss. Even a highly fossorial form, the murine Mole Rat, maintains an AOS capacity (Heth, 1995 Zuri, 1998). A promising candidate, the subterranean and eusocial Naked Mole Rat (Batherygidae), shows little or no chemosensory contribution to reproductive regulation (Lacey, 1991 Faulkes et al., 1993). The role of its AOS remains to be discovered, possibly the outbreeding (dispersive) morph is the best candidate type (O Riain et al., 1996). 

Bioassay of alternate molecular forms supports the view that the ORs are capable of resolving isomeric distinctions in neutral (non-biological) odourants. Stereochemical pairs of odours were tested for differential sensitivities in the blind subterranean mole rat (Spalax ehrenbergi). The subjects responded to one enantiomer, but not to its stereoisomer. Both sexes were attracted to the odour of R-(-)-carvone but unresponsive to S-(+)-carvone in contrast, males and females were repelled by the odour of (+)-citronellol, but not by (-)-citronellol (Heth et al., 1992). The lack of responsiveness by mole rats could be central due to lack of salience, or peripheral due to hyposmia/anosmia for one isomer. Both carvones have distinct odours for the human nose. 

Heth G., Nevo E., Ikan R., Weinstein Y., et ai. (1992). Differential olfactory perception of enantiomeric compounds by blind subterranean mole rats (Spalax ehrenbergi). Experientia 48, 897-902. 

Heth G. and Todrank J. (1995). Assessing chemosensory perception in subterranean mole rats different responses to smelling versus touching odorous stimuli. Anim Behav 49, 1009-1015. 

Mole-rats are well-adapted to life underground. Their eyes are much reduced, as is the visual center in the brain, suggesting that sight does not play much of a role in their dark, subterranean environment, hi fact, it is not clear whether some mole-rat species can perceive light at... 

Shams I, Avivi A, Nevo E. 2004. Hypoxic stress tolerance of the blind subterranean mole rat Expression of erythropoietin and hypoxia-inducible factor la. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 101 9698-9703. 

Heth, G. Nevo, E. 1981. Origin and evolution of ethological isolation in subterranean mole rats. Evolution, 35, 259-274. 

Nevo, E. 1991. Evolutionary theory and processes of active speciation and adaptative radiation in subterranean mole rats, Spalax ehrenbetgi superspecies in Israel. Evolutionary Biol., 125, 1—125. 

Heth, G., Beauchamp, G. K., Nevo, E., Spalax ehrenbergi) detected by laboratory rats. Chemoecology, 7 107—111. 

Todrank, J. Heth, G. 1996. Individual odours in two chromosomal species of blind, subterranean mole rat (Spalax ehrenbergi) Conspecific and cross-species discrimination. Ethology, 102, 806-811. 

De Jong, W. W., Hendriks, W., Sanyal, S, Nevo, E. 1990. The eye of the blind mole rat Spalax ehrenbetgi) regressive evolution at the molecular level. In Evolution of subterranean mammals at the organismal and molecular levels. (Ed. by E. Nevo O. A. Reig), pp. 383—395. New York Wiley-Liss. 

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