The biology of an isolated Mashona mole-rat population from southern Malawi, with implications for the diversity and biogeography of the genus Fukomys

0571300 - ÚBO 2024 RIV DE eng J - Článek v odborném periodiku
Šumbera, R. - Uhrová, M. - Begall, S. - Caspar, K. R. - Jerkovičová, D. - Van Daele, P. - Chitaukali, W. N. - Faulkes, C. G. - Bennett, N. C. - Johannes, C. - Burda, H. - Mikula, Ondřej
The biology of an isolated Mashona mole-rat population from southern Malawi, with implications for the diversity and biogeography of the genus Fukomys.
Organisms Diversity & Evolution. Roč. 23, č. 3 (2023), s. 603-620. ISSN 1439-6092. E-ISSN 1618-1077
Grant CEP: GA ČR(CZ) GA20-10222S
Institucionální podpora: RVO:68081766
Klíčová slova: Bathyergidae * Diversity * Subterranean rodent * Life history * Inter-population differences * Reproduction
Obor OECD: Zoology
Impakt faktor: 1.6, rok: 2022
Způsob publikování: Open access
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13127-023-00604-z

The Mashona mole-rat, Fukomys darlingi (Thomas, 1895), is a little studied social African mole-rat (Bathyergidae) from south-astern Africa. Here, we present an integrative study characterizing the genetic diversity of populations assigned to F. darlingi with special focus on animals from Nsanje, southern Malawi. These mole-rats show pronounced differences in body mass and general appearance compared to nominate F. darlingi from Zimbabwe and Mozambique, but their taxonomic status has so far remained unclear. A genetic analysis encompassing all major lineages of the genus Fukomys suggests that this population indeed represents a deeply nested lineage within the F. darlingi clade. The karyotype of the Nsanje mole-rats also corresponds to that of the nominate form, being 2n = 54. While both nuclear and mitochondrial data agree about the assignment of the Nsanje mole-rats to F. darlingi, our analyses revealed substantial mitonuclear discordance for other branches within the Fukomys phylogenetic tree. Nsanje mole-rats are significantly larger than nominate F. darlingi and their ontogeny and reproduction closely resemble similar-sized congeneric species rather than the nominate population. The somatic growth of the Nsanje form is the slowest of all African mole-rats. The maximum life span of F. darlingi is at least 19 years. The observed differences between nominate F. darlingi and mole-rats from Nsanje may be attributed mainly to their different body mass. Our study highlights the advantages of an integrative approach for understanding the diversity of African mole-rats and emphasizes the great intraspecific variability that may be encountered in these underground-dwelling rodents.
Trvalý link: https://hdl.handle.net/11104/0342554