antiquity
08-11-2002, 08:49 PM
Location: Sunday 11 Aug 2002 > Cape news
Ugly rat does amazing tricks
KAREN VAN ROOYENA CAPE Town zoologist hopes that people with spinal injuries may be helped by his research into the odd-looking naked mole-rat, known as the "ugliest mammal on earth".
Dr Justin O'Riain , a senior lecturer in zoology at the University of Cape Town, said the tiny creature , an almost hairless rodent endemic to Africa, could hold the key to understanding whether spinal c ords could regenerate .
His previous mole-rat research concluded that the tiny creature was able to elongate its vertebrae when it prepared to reproduce - earning itself a reputation as a "biological rule-breaker".
O'Riain said they were the only mammals in which the breeders became physically specialised for reproduction, a process otherwise seen in insect societies such as ants and termites.
Each mole-rat colony has only one breeding pair, and once the queen dies, one of her daughters undergoes a "remarkable bodily transformation".
"Her lumbar [lower back] vertebrae begin to lengthen so that she ends up with a very long abdomen," said O'Riain.
The bigger abdominal area allows for a bigger litter.
O'Riain and his colleagues are now trying to determine whether the lengthening of the vertebral column is accompanied by growth of the spinal cord.
"If this is the case, then we have shown that a mammal is capable of growing new spinal cord tissues in adulthood in response to hormonal changes," said O'Riain, who is working with the university's medical school.
"The medical benefits of this to spinal cord injuries could be very important."
The mole-rats are also different from other mammals because:
They are cold-blooded, having lost the ability to regulate their own body temperature, which is a defining characteristic of mammals; and
They routinely in-breed with few of the normal problems, such as deformed or sterile offspring, normally associated with mating with close relatives.
O'Riain recently won a President's Award from the National Research Foundation for his mole-rat research.
He was also offered a position at a prestigious university in Paris, but his passion for the outdoors and sport surpassed the promise of a "fantastic job".
"I was in Paris and it's such a concrete jungle," said O'Riain.
He always knew he wanted to work with animals, but he was hooked after seeing the mole-rats for the first time.
"I was struck by what an amazing quirk of nature they are."
Ugly rat does amazing tricks
KAREN VAN ROOYENA CAPE Town zoologist hopes that people with spinal injuries may be helped by his research into the odd-looking naked mole-rat, known as the "ugliest mammal on earth".
Dr Justin O'Riain , a senior lecturer in zoology at the University of Cape Town, said the tiny creature , an almost hairless rodent endemic to Africa, could hold the key to understanding whether spinal c ords could regenerate .
His previous mole-rat research concluded that the tiny creature was able to elongate its vertebrae when it prepared to reproduce - earning itself a reputation as a "biological rule-breaker".
O'Riain said they were the only mammals in which the breeders became physically specialised for reproduction, a process otherwise seen in insect societies such as ants and termites.
Each mole-rat colony has only one breeding pair, and once the queen dies, one of her daughters undergoes a "remarkable bodily transformation".
"Her lumbar [lower back] vertebrae begin to lengthen so that she ends up with a very long abdomen," said O'Riain.
The bigger abdominal area allows for a bigger litter.
O'Riain and his colleagues are now trying to determine whether the lengthening of the vertebral column is accompanied by growth of the spinal cord.
"If this is the case, then we have shown that a mammal is capable of growing new spinal cord tissues in adulthood in response to hormonal changes," said O'Riain, who is working with the university's medical school.
"The medical benefits of this to spinal cord injuries could be very important."
The mole-rats are also different from other mammals because:
They are cold-blooded, having lost the ability to regulate their own body temperature, which is a defining characteristic of mammals; and
They routinely in-breed with few of the normal problems, such as deformed or sterile offspring, normally associated with mating with close relatives.
O'Riain recently won a President's Award from the National Research Foundation for his mole-rat research.
He was also offered a position at a prestigious university in Paris, but his passion for the outdoors and sport surpassed the promise of a "fantastic job".
"I was in Paris and it's such a concrete jungle," said O'Riain.
He always knew he wanted to work with animals, but he was hooked after seeing the mole-rats for the first time.
"I was struck by what an amazing quirk of nature they are."