TY - JOUR
T1 - DNA "fingerprinting" reveals high levels of inbreeding in colonies of the eusocial naked mole-rat
AU - Reeve, Hudson K.
AU - Westneat, David F.
AU - Noon, William A.
AU - Sherman, Paul W.
AU - Aquadro, Charles F.
PY - 1990/4
Y1 - 1990/4
N2 - 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 colonymates 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, r̄ = 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.
AB - 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 colonymates 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, r̄ = 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.
KW - Cooperative breeding
KW - Eusociality
KW - Hypervariable minisatellite DNA
KW - Kin selection
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U2 - 10.1073/pnas.87.7.2496
DO - 10.1073/pnas.87.7.2496
M3 - Article
C2 - 2320570
AN - SCOPUS:0025268419
SN - 0027-8424
VL - 87
SP - 2496
EP - 2500
JO - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
JF - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
IS - 7
ER -