Wallace, Kyra Mary ElizabethHart, Daniel WilliamVenter, FrancoisJanse van Vuuren, Andries K.Bennett, Nigel Charles2024-05-232024-05-232023-08Wallace, K.M.E., Hart, D.W., Venter, F. et al. 2023, 'The best of both worlds: no apparent trade-off between immunity and reproduction in two group-living African mole-rat species', Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, vol. 378, no. 1883, art. 20220310, doi : 10.1098/rstb.2022.0310.0962-8436 (print)1471-2970 (online)10.1098/rstb.2022.0310http://hdl.handle.net/2263/96190Electronic supplementary material is available online at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.6662602.Co-operatively breeding mammals often exhibit a female reproductive skew and suppression of the subordinate non-breeding group members. According to evolutionary theory and the immunity–fertility axis, an inverse relationship between reproductive investment and survival (through immunocompetence) is expected. As such, this study investigated if a trade-off between immunocompetence and reproduction arises in two co-operatively breeding African mole-rat species, namely the Damaraland mole-rat (Fukomys damarensis) and common mole-rat (Cryptomys hottentotus hottentotus), which possess female reproductive division of labour. This study also attempted to investigate the relationship between the immune and endocrine systems in Damaraland mole-rats. There was no trade-off between reproduction and immunocompetence in co-operatively breeding African mole-rat species, and in the case of the Damaraland mole-rats, breeding females (BFs) possessed increased immunocompetence compared with non-breeding females (NBFs). Furthermore, the increased levels of progesterone possessed by Damaraland mole-rat BFs compared with NBFs appear to be correlated to increased immunocompetence. In comparison, BF and NBF common mole-rats possess similar immunocompetence. The species-specific differences in the immunity–fertility axis may be due to variations in the strengths of reproductive suppression in each species.en© 2023 The Author(s). Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.Adaptive immunityImmunity–fertility axisInnate immunityProgesteroneReproductive suppressionSocialityAfrican mole-rats (Bathyergidae)Damaraland mole-rat (Fukomys damarensis)Common mole-rats (Cryptomys hottentotus hottentotus)SDG-15: Life on landPostprint Article