Allometric scaling and social modulation of resting metabolic rate in a eusocial mammal (Heterocephalus glaber)
Jack E Thirkell, Chris G Faulkes, Hana N Merchant, James D Gilbert, Nigel C Bennett, Daniel W Hart, Monica A Daley, Steven J Portugal · 2026
Read Allometric scaling and social modulation of resting metabolic rate in a eusocial mammal (Heterocephalus glaber) by Jack E Thirkell, Chris G Faulkes, Hana N Merchant, James D Gilbert, Nigel C Bennett, Daniel W Hart, Monica A Daley, Steven J Portugal (2026) in the Tower of Babel, a free online library of public-domain works preserved in clean, searchable text. No sign-up. The full text is served as a plain-text file at a predictable URL, where text is present: https://antarctic-labs.com/tower-of-babel/PMC13382701.txt.
Description
Jack E Thirkell and colleagues present a 2026 study of resting energy use in naked mole-rats, social mammals that live underground in colonies with a single breeding female. Resting metabolic rate shapes how energy is divided between survival, breeding, and long life. Its drivers inside such a structured society were unclear.
The team measured 76 animals from five colonies, testing body mass, sex, breeding status, age, rank, and colony stability. Body mass predicted energy use most strongly, though rates were far below those expected for mammals of that size, confirming a suppressed metabolism. Breeding females ran slightly higher than non-breeders, while age and rank had no effect once mass was allowed for.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Jack E Thirkell, Chris G Faulkes, Hana N Merchant, James D Gilbert, Nigel C Bennett, Daniel W Hart, Monica A Daley, Steven J Portugal |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 32057 |
| LICENSE | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |