Abstract:
Dispersal from the natal site to breeding sites is a crucial phase in the life history
of animals and can have profound effects on the reproductive ecology and the
structure of animal societies. However, few studies have assessed dispersal dynamics in
subterranean mammals and it is unknown whether dispersal distances are constrained
by living underground. Here we show, in social, subterranean Damaraland mole-rats
(Fukomys damarensis), that a subterranean lifestyle does not preclude long distance
dispersal and that both sexes are capable of successfully dispersing long distances
(>4 km). Body condition did not predict dispersal distance, but dispersers from
larger groups traveled farther than individuals from smaller groups. Subsequently we
show in a phylogenetically controlled comparative analysis of dispersal distances in
subterranean and surface-dwelling rodents that living underground does not constrain
dispersal distances and that dispersal capacity is mainly a consequence of body size in
both lifestyles.
