Adaptive Pacifistic Behaviour in Subterranean Mole Rats in the Sahara Desert, Contrasting to and Originating From Polymorphic Aggression in Israeli Species

Eviatar Nevo; Shimon Simson; Giora Heth; Avigdor Beiles

doi:10.1163/156853992X00110

Adaptive Pacifistic Behaviour in Subterranean Mole Rats in the Sahara Desert, Contrasting to and Originating From Polymorphic Aggression in Israeli Species

Eviatar Nevo, Shimon Simson, Giora Heth, Avigdor Beiles

Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Aggression is a polymorphic trait that occurs in subterranean blind mole rats of the Spalax ehrenbergi superspecies in Israel (Nevo et al., 1975, 1986; Nevo, 1991). We found Egyptian mole rats in the isolates to be pacifistic. This supports our evolutionary theory of aggression in Spalax which predicts that aggression should decrease in the desert habitat (Nevo et al., 1986), presumably to minimize overheating, water and energy expenditure. The described behaviour is a pre-requisite for social evolution. We hypothesize that pacifistic behaviour in Spalax isolates in North Africa has been adaptively selected for survival in the harsh Sahara desert ecology.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	70-76
Number of pages	7
Journal	Behaviour
Volume	123
Issue number	1-2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1163/156853992X00110
State	Published - 1992

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Animal Science and Zoology
Behavioral Neuroscience

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abstract = "Aggression is a polymorphic trait that occurs in subterranean blind mole rats of the Spalax ehrenbergi superspecies in Israel (Nevo et al., 1975, 1986; Nevo, 1991). We found Egyptian mole rats in the isolates to be pacifistic. This supports our evolutionary theory of aggression in Spalax which predicts that aggression should decrease in the desert habitat (Nevo et al., 1986), presumably to minimize overheating, water and energy expenditure. The described behaviour is a pre-requisite for social evolution. We hypothesize that pacifistic behaviour in Spalax isolates in North Africa has been adaptively selected for survival in the harsh Sahara desert ecology.",

author = "Eviatar Nevo and Shimon Simson and Giora Heth and Avigdor Beiles",

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AU - Heth, Giora

AU - Beiles, Avigdor

PY - 1992

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AB - Aggression is a polymorphic trait that occurs in subterranean blind mole rats of the Spalax ehrenbergi superspecies in Israel (Nevo et al., 1975, 1986; Nevo, 1991). We found Egyptian mole rats in the isolates to be pacifistic. This supports our evolutionary theory of aggression in Spalax which predicts that aggression should decrease in the desert habitat (Nevo et al., 1986), presumably to minimize overheating, water and energy expenditure. The described behaviour is a pre-requisite for social evolution. We hypothesize that pacifistic behaviour in Spalax isolates in North Africa has been adaptively selected for survival in the harsh Sahara desert ecology.

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Adaptive Pacifistic Behaviour in Subterranean Mole Rats in the Sahara Desert, Contrasting to and Originating From Polymorphic Aggression in Israeli Species

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