Saved on this device

Follow your curiosity

What discovery has been shared with you?

Start with one fact. Explore it, go deeper, then follow whichever branch catches your imagination.

Choose subjects for a surprise

Exploring any topic

Begin your discovery

Your next discovery is one click away.

Choose one or more subjects above, or leave Any Topic selected and let curiosity decide.

Biology

The Evolution of Eusociality in Naked Mole Rats and Its Ecological Drivers

Quick fact

Naked mole rats are one of only two known eusocial mammals (the other being the Damaraland mole rat). In a colony, the queen is the only female that reproduces, and she can produce up to 30 pups in a single litter, while workers—both male and female—remain non-reproductive.

Why this is interesting

Most mammals live in groups, but only a handful have evolved a system where a single female gives birth to all the young while others work and fight for her colony. What could push a mammal to such an extreme?