A study published in the journal Nature on July 16, 2026, reveals that naked mole-rat queens produce a chemical in their urine that prevents other females in the colony from reproducing. This mechanism enforces a strict social hierarchy where only one female breeds.
Researchers identified the compound as a modified form of a common protein, which acts as a pheromone. The chemical suppresses the reproductive systems of subordinate females, maintaining the queen's dominance. The study was conducted by scientists at the University of Leipzig and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology.
Naked mole-rats (Heterocephalus glaber) are eusocial mammals, similar to bees or ants, living in colonies of up to 300 individuals. The queen is the only female that reproduces, giving birth to litters of up to 28 pups. This discovery explains how the queen maintains her status without physical aggression.
