| a note on the brain of the cape dune mole rat, bathyergus suillus. | | 1968 | 5730852 |
| middle and later stone age large mammal and tortoise remains from die kelders cave 1, western cape province, south africa. | die kelders cave 1, south africa, has provided more than 150,000 taxonomically identifiable mammal and tortoise bones from middle stone age (msa) and later stone age (lsa) deposits. cape dune mole-rats dominate the mammal sample, and they appear to have been accumulated mainly by people during the lsa occupation and mainly by eagle owls in the msa. in sharp contrast to the lsa fauna, the msa sample contains extralimital ungulates that imply relatively moist, grassy conditions. the large mean siz ... | 2000 | 10627402 |
| the pituitary potential for opportunistic breeding in the cape dune mole-rat, bathyergus suillus. | in this paper we investigated the effect of sex and season on baseline and post-gnrh challenge luteinising hormone (lh) levels in a solitary, seasonally breeding mole-rat. circulating basal concentrations of luteinising hormone (lh) were found to differ significantly with season in both sexes. however, no significant difference was found in circulating basal lh concentration between the sexes either within or out of the breeding season. the magnitude of the lh response to an exogenous pharmacolo ... | 2006 | 16814330 |
| the topography and gross anatomy of the gastrointestinal tract of the cape dune mole-rat (bathyergus suillus). | the cape dune mole-rat, bathyergus suillus, is the largest truly subterranean rodent in the world and is restricted to sandy soil areas of the southern and south-western cape province. these animals are herbivorous, feeding mostly on the below ground portions of grass and geophytes. the present study was undertaken to explore whether there are any gross anatomical gastrointestinal adaptations associated with the herbivorous diet of the cape dune mole-rat and to provide a basis for further invest ... | 2006 | 16836591 |
| the visual system in subterranean african mole-rats (rodentia, bathyergidae): retina, subcortical visual nuclei and primary visual cortex. | we have studied the visual system of subterranean mole-rats of the rodent family bathyergidae, for which light and vision seem of little importance. the eye diameter varies between 3.5mm in bathyergus suillus and 1.3mm in heterocephalus glaber. the small superficial eyes have features typical of sighted animals (clear optics, well-developed pupil and well-organized retina) and appear suited for proper image formation. the retinae are rod-dominated but possess rather high cone proportions of abou ... | 2008 | 18331898 |
| nuclear organization and morphology of cholinergic, putative catecholaminergic and serotonergic neurons in the brains of two species of african mole-rat. | the distribution, morphology and nuclear subdivisions of the cholinergic, putative catecholaminergic and serotonergic systems within the brains of two species of african mole-rat (cape dune mole-rat -bathyergus suillus; highveld mole-rat -cryptomys hottentotuspretoriae) were identified following immunohistochemistry for acetylcholinesterase, tyrosine hydroxylase and serotonin. the aim of the present study was to investigate possible differences in the complement of nuclear subdivisions of these ... | 2008 | 18407460 |
| neuroanatomical investigation of the gonadotrophin-releasing hormone 1 system in the seasonally breeding cape dune mole-rat, bathyergus suillus. | the gonadotrophin-releasing hormone 1 (gnrh1) system has been investigated immunohistochemically in cape dune mole-rats (bathyergus suillus), subterranean rodents that normally display severe aggression towards conspecifics. these animals breed seasonally and show a reduced mean plasma level of luteinising hormone during the non-breeding season. gnrh1-immunoreactive (ir) cell bodies and processes are found in the septal/preoptic area and the mediobasal hypothalamus; the cell bodies are found in ... | 2008 | 18691640 |
| the colonic groove or furrow: a comparative morphological study of six species of african mole-rats (rodentia, bathyergidae). | herbivorous mammals such as nutrias, guinea pigs, chinchillas, and mole-rats have a longitudinal mucosal colonic groove (furrow) in their ascending colon, which is thought to play a role in the colonic separation mechanism (csm). it is not known whether this groove is structurally modified to adapt to this function in mole-rat species. the morphology of this groove was studied in 32 mol-rats, four species, one of which consisted of three subspecies, endemic to southern africa and two species fou ... | 2009 | 19274639 |
| the comparative anatomy of the abdominal gastrointestinal tract of six species of african mole-rats (rodentia, bathyergidae). | the gastrointestinal tracts (gits) of six species of african mole-rats (bathyergidae) were compared. the aim was to provide a comprehensive anatomical comparison between the different species. the relative shape, length, and surface areas were taken into account to determine whether the gits are phylogenetically constrained or exhibit anatomical adaptations in response to diets. in all six species the stomach was simple and glandular. with the exception of heterocephalus glaber, the caecum was c ... | 2010 | 19623625 |
| distribution of orexinergic neurons and their terminal networks in the brains of two species of african mole rats. | the distribution of orexinergic cell bodies and terminal networks within the brains of two species of african mole rat (cape-dune mole rat--bathyergus suillus and highveld mole rat--cryptomys hottentotus) were identified using immunohistochemistry for orexin-a. the aim of the study was to investigate possible differences in the nuclear complement and terminal distribution of this system by comparing those of the mole rats to published studies of other rodents and mammals. the wild-caught mole ra ... | 2010 | 21093582 |
| a morphological study of the vertebral venous plexus and its connections in the cape dune mole-rat, bathyergus suillus (bathyergidae). | bathyergus suillus are subterranean rodents found in the western cape of south africa, where they inhabit sandy, humid burrows. vertebral venous plexuses around the vertebral column have been implicated in aiding the maintenance of a constant central nervous system temperature via its connections with muscles and interscapular brown adipose tissue. the morphology of the vertebral venous plexuses and its connections in b.suillus were investigated. frozen (n = 10) animals were defrosted; the venou ... | 2010 | 21312227 |
| spontaneous bacterial cell lysis and biofilm formation in the colon of the cape dune mole-rat and the laboratory rabbit. | a wide range of techniques, including high-throughput dna sequencing methods, have been applied to the evaluation of the normal intestinal flora. however, the inability to grow many of those species in culture imposes substantial constraints on the techniques used to evaluate this important community. the presence of biofilms in the normal gut adds further complexity to the issue. in this study, a flow cytometric analysis was used to separate intact bacterial cells, cell debris, and other partic ... | 2011 | 21538116 |
| ear structures of the naked mole-rat, heterocephalus glaber, and its relatives (rodentia: bathyergidae). | although increasingly popular as a laboratory species, very little is known about the peripheral auditory system of the naked mole-rat, heterocephalus glaber. in this study, middle and inner ears of naked mole-rats of a range of ages were examined using micro-computed tomography and dissection. the ears of five other bathyergid species (bathyergus suillus, cryptomys hottentotus, fukomys micklemi, georychus capensis and heliophobius argenteocinereus) were examined for comparative purposes. the mi ... | 2016 | 27926945 |
| the impact of gape on the performance of the skull in chisel-tooth digging and scratch digging mole-rats (rodentia: bathyergidae). | the african mole-rats (bathyergidae) are a family of rodents highly adapted for life underground. previous research has shown that chisel-tooth digging mole-rats (which use their incisors to dig burrows) are clearly distinguishable from scratch diggers (which only use the forelimbs to tunnel) on the basis of morphology of the skull, and that the differences are linked to the production of high bite forces and wide gapes. we hypothesized that the skull of a chisel-tooth digging mole-rat would per ... | 2016 | 27853575 |
| long bone histology of the subterranean rodent bathyergus suillus (bathyergidae): ontogenetic pattern of cortical bone thickening. | patterns of bone development in mammals are best known from terrestrial and cursorial groups, but there is a considerable gap in our understanding of how specializations for life underground affect bone growth and development. likewise, studies of bone microstructure in wild populations are still scarce, and they often include few individuals and tend to be focused on adults. for these reasons, the processes generating bone microstructural variation at intra- and interspecific levels are not ful ... | 2017 | 27682432 |
| local and regional scale genetic variation in the cape dune mole-rat, bathyergus suillus. | the distribution of genetic variation is determined through the interaction of life history, morphology and habitat specificity of a species in conjunction with landscape structure. while numerous studies have investigated this interplay of factors in species inhabiting aquatic, riverine, terrestrial, arboreal and saxicolous systems, the fossorial system has remained largely unexplored. in this study we attempt to elucidate the impacts of a subterranean lifestyle coupled with a heterogeneous lan ... | 2014 | 25229558 |
| eye development in the cape dune mole rat. | studies on mammalian species with naturally reduced eyes can provide valuable insights into the evolutionary developmental mechanisms underlying the reduction of the eye structures. because few naturally microphthalmic animals have been studied and eye reduction must have evolved independently in many of the modern groups, novel evolutionary developmental models for eye research have to be sought. here, we present a first report on embryonic eye development in the cape dune mole rat, bathyergus ... | 2014 | 24570380 |
| subterranean sympatry: an investigation into diet using stable isotope analysis. | in the western cape three species of mole-rat occur in sympatry, however, little is known about differences in their dietary preferences. dietary composition of the three species; the common mole-rat (cryptomys hottentotus hottentotus), the cape mole-rat (georychus capensis) and the cape dune mole-rat (bathyergus suillus) were examined using stable isotope analysis. blood, fur and claw samples were collected from 70 mole-rats, in addition to several potential food items, to assess food selection ... | 2012 | 23139795 |
| how attractive is the girl next door? an assessment of spatial mate acquisition and paternity in the solitary cape dune mole-rat, bathyergus suillus. | behavioural observations of reproduction and mate choice in wild fossorial rodents are extremely limited and consequently indirect methods are typically used to infer mating strategies. we use a combination of morphological, reproductive, spatial, and genetic data to investigate the reproductive strategy of a solitary endemic species, the cape dune mole-rat bathyergus suillus. these data provide the first account on the population dynamics of this species. marked sexual dimorphism was apparent w ... | 2012 | 22768149 |
| determinants of helminth infection in a subterranean rodent, the cape dune mole-rat ( bathyergus suillus ). | the helminth fauna of the largest bathyergid, the cape mole-rat ( bathyergus suillus ) was studied throughout an entire calendar year. the species richness encountered was low, with only 3 species of nematodes ( longistriata bathyergi , mammalakis macrospiculum, and trichostrongylus sp.) and 2 species of cestodes ( taenia sp. and rodentolepis sp.). at less than 10%, the prevalence for all helminths species was similarly low and may be a result of the solitary lifestyle and the subterranean habit ... | 2012 | 22263622 |
| subterranean mammals: reservoirs of infection or overlooked sentinels of anthropogenic environmental soiling? | global reports of emergent pathogens in humans have intensified efforts to identify wildlife reservoirs. subterranean mammals, such as bathyergid mole rats, are largely overlooked, despite their high-level exposure to soil-dwelling microbes. initial assessment of bathyergid reservoir potential was determined using a broad-range 16s rrna pcr approach, which revealed an 83% pcr-positivity for the 234 bathyergid lung samples evaluated. the presence of the bacillus cereus complex, a ubiquitous bacte ... | 2017 | 29094221 |
| a new ascaridid nematode, mammalakis zambiensis n. sp. (heterakoidea: kiwinematidae), from the mole rat fukomys anselli (burda, zima, scharff, macholán & kawalika) (rodentia: bathyergidae) in zambia. | mammalakis zambiensis n. sp. is described from the large intestine and caecum of fukomys anselli (burda, zima, scharff, macholán & kawalika), a bathyergid rodent endemic to zambia. morphological data for comparison with its three congeners, m. macrospiculum (ortlepp, 1939), m. spalacis (marcu, 1930) and m. spalaxi (kozlov & jangolenko, 1962) are provided. based on studies of the type-material, observations of hitherto undescribed morphological characters of m. macrospiculum, a parasite of bathye ... | 2017 | 28425035 |
| small mammal utilization by middle stone age humans at die kelders cave 1 and pinnacle point site 5-6, western cape province, south africa. | reported here are the results of a taphonomic analysis of the small mammals (between 0.75 kg and 4.5 kg adult body weight) and size 1 bovids (≤20 kg adult body weight) from the middle stone age (msa) sites of die kelders cave 1 (dk1) and pinnacle point site 5-6 (pp5-6), western cape province, south africa. this study provides a comprehensive taphonomic analysis of msa small mammals with a focus on discerning the role of humans in their accumulation and the implications for human behavioral adapt ... | 2016 | 27886809 |
| cortical bone adaptation and mineral mobilization in the subterranean mammal bathyergus suillus (rodentia: bathyergidae): effects of age and sex. | the patterns of bone modeling and mineral mobilization (skeletal homeostasis) among mammals other than humans and laboratory rodents are still poorly known. in this study we assessed the pattern of bone formation and bone resorption in the femur of a wild population of cape dune molerats, bathyergus suillus (n = 41) (bathyergidae), a solitary subterranean mammal with a marked extended longevity among rodents, and which also lives in a naturally deficient state of vitamin d. in order to determine ... | 2018 | 29910978 |
| description of four new species of haemaphysalis koch, 1844 (acari: ixodidae) from the h. (rhipistoma) spinulosa subgroup, parasites of carnivores and rodents in africa. | haemaphysalis (rhipistoma) bochkovi n. sp., h. (r.) burkinae n. sp., h. (r.) horaki n. sp. and h. (r.) walkerae n. sp. (acari: ixodidae), are described based on males and females. adults of h. bochkovi n. sp. were collected from the marsh mongoose, atilax paludinosus (cuvier) (carnivora: herpestidae) and the spotted-necked otter, hydrictis maculicollis (lichtenstein) (carnivora: mustelidae) in côte d'ivoire and liberia; adults of h. burkinae n. sp. were collected from the rusty-spotted genet, ge ... | 2019 | 31441012 |
| surveys and literature review of parasites among african mole-rats: proposing hypotheses for the roles of geography, ecology, and host phylogenetic relatedness in parasite sharing. | hosts that overlap geographically, are less phylogenetically divergent, and/or share similar ecological conditions (e.g., climate, habitat type) are also likely to share parasites. here we assessed the ectoparasite communities sustained by 3 solitary species of bathyergidae (georychus capensis, bathyergus suillus, and bathyergus janetta) as well as the endoparasites exploiting g. capensis and compared them with those reported in the literature for other sympatric and parapatric african mole-rat ... | 2020 | 31977284 |
| comparative forelimb morphology of scratch-digging and chisel-tooth digging african mole-rat species. | bathyergus suillus (cape dune mole-rat) and heterocephalus glaber (naked mole-rat) are two species of subterranean burrowing rodents. bathyergus suillus occurs in soft sandy soils and is regarded as a scratch-digger, while h. glaber is found in hard, compact soils and is a chisel-tooth digging species. the present study aimed to determine musculoskeletal differences in the forelimb of these two species. the muscles of the forelimb, back and neck were dissected to the points of origin and inserti ... | 2020 | 32589809 |
| the brains of six african mole-rat species show divergent responses to hypoxia. | mole-rats are champions of self-preservation, with increased longevity compared with other rodents their size, strong antioxidant capabilities and specialized defenses against endogenous oxidative stress. however, how the brains of these subterranean mammals handle acute in vivo hypoxia is poorly understood. this study is the first to examine the molecular response to low oxygen in six different species of hypoxia-tolerant mole-rats from sub-saharan africa. protein carbonylation, a known marker ... | 2020 | 32041803 |
| hind foot drumming: morphofunctional analysis of the hind limb osteology in three species of african mole-rats (bathyergidae). | hind foot drumming is a form of seismic signaling that plays a vital role in the communication of several bathyergidae species. hind foot drumming is initiated by the rapid movement of the whole hind limb by flexion and extension of the hip and knee. this study aimed to determine if morphological adaptations of the hind limb osteology were measurable using established morphometric analyses in two drumming (bathyergus suillus and georychus capensis) and one non-drumming (cryptomys hottentotus nat ... | 2020 | 32031740 |
| the hypoxia tolerance of eight related african mole-rat species rivals that of naked mole-rats, despite divergent ventilatory and metabolic strategies in severe hypoxia. | burrowing mammals tend to be more hypoxia tolerant than non-burrowing mammals and rely less on increases in ventilation and more on decreases in metabolic rate to tolerate hypoxia. naked mole-rats (heterocephalus glaber, nmrs), eusocial mammals that live in large colonies, are among the most hypoxia-tolerant mammals, and rely almost solely on decreases in metabolism with little change in ventilation during hypoxia. we hypothesized that the remarkable hypoxia tolerance of nmrs is an evolutionaril ... | 2020 | 31885213 |
| postnatal development of the largest subterranean mammal (bathyergus suillus): morphology, osteogenesis, and modularity of the appendicular skeleton. | subterranean mammals show a suite of musculoskeletal adaptations that enables efficient digging. however, little is known about their development. we assessed ontogenetic changes in functionally relevant skeletal traits, and ossification patterns (periosteal and endochondral bone modules) in a truly subterranean scratch-digging rodent, bathyergus. we studied 52 individuals (202 long bones) from a wild population by using a multiscale approach involving internal and external morphology. | 2019 | 31265186 |
| hind foot drumming: morphological adaptations of the muscles and bones of the hind limb in three african mole-rat species. | seismic signalling in the form of hind foot drumming plays an integral role in the communication of several species of african mole-rats (bathyergidae). to produce these vibrational signals, alternating hind limbs strike the ground repetitively at high speeds by flexion and extension of the hip and knee. this descriptive study aimed to determine whether anatomical differences in hind limb osteology and/or musculature between drumming and non-drumming species of three bathyergidae species could b ... | 2019 | 31218687 |
| spatial genetic diversity in the cape mole-rat, georychus capensis: extreme isolation of populations in a subterranean environment. | the subterranean niche harbours animals with extreme adaptations. these adaptations decrease the vagility of taxa and, along with other behavioural adaptations, often result in isolated populations characterized by small effective population sizes, high inbreeding, population bottlenecks, genetic drift and consequently, high spatial genetic structure. although information is available for some species, estimates of genetic diversity and whether this variation is spatially structured, is lacking ... | 2018 | 29543917 |