Year: 2026
Type: review
Abstract: Social interactions rely on the integration of information across multiple sensory modalities. In many species, individuals recognize conspecifics through combinations of auditory, olfactory, tactile, and visual cues, reflecting the capacity of neural systems to integrate diverse streams of sensory input. The naked mole-rat (Heterocephalus glaber) provides a powerful model system for understanding how social living shapes the evolution of such communication systems, particularly under conditions where visual information is largely absent. Naked mole-rats represent a rare example of mammalian eusociality, living in large multigenerational colonies organized around a strict reproductive hierarchy and cooperative care of offspring [1]. Here, we review evidence that naked mole-rats integrate multiple sensory modalities, focusing on audition, olfaction, and somatosensation to encode social identity.
Source: Current Opinion in Neurobiology
Language: English
Subfield: Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,320
Funders: Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung, European Commission, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Helmholtz Association, Berlin Institute of Health, HORIZON EUROPE Framework Programme, European Research Council, H2020 European Research Council, HORIZON EUROPE European Research Council
OpenAlex ID: W7203924206