DNA "fingerprinting" reveals high levels of inbreeding in colonies of the eusocial naked mole-rat.
Using the technique of DNA fingerprinting, we investigated the genetic structure within and among four wild-caught colonies (n = 50 individuals) of a eusocial mammal, the naked mole-rat (Heterocephalus glaber; Rodentia: Bathyergidae). We found that DNA fingerprints of colony-mates were strikingly similar and that between colonies they were much more alike than fingerprints of non-kin in other free-living vertebrates. Extreme genetic similarity within colonies is due to close genetic relationship (mean relatedness estimate +/- SE, r = 0.81 +/- 0.10), which apparently results from consanguineous mating. The inbreeding coefficient (F = 0.45 +/- 0.18) is the highest yet recorded among wild mammals. The genetic structure of naked mole-rat colonies lends support to kin selection and ecological constraints models for the evolution of cooperative breeding and eusociality.
Reeve
H K
HK
Section of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853.
Westneat
D F
DF
Noon
W A
WA
Sherman
P W
PW
Aquadro
C F
CF
D000818:Animals; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015342:DNA Probes; D005260:Female; D006579:Heterozygote; D006720:Homozygote; D006801:Humans; D007178:Inbreeding; D008099:Liver / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D009132:Muscles / Q000032:analysis; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D009710:Nucleotide Mapping; D012377:Rodentia / Q000235:genetics*
D015342:DNA Probes; D004247:DNA