#spalax

Various rodents, in order:

Spalax microphthalmus, Greater blind mole-rat Rattus norvegicus, Norway rat Cricetus cricetus, European hamster Apodemus sylvaticus, wood mouse Microtus arvalis, common vole Sciurus vulgaris, red squirrel Ondatra zibethicus, muskrat Glis glis, European edible dormouse

Lesser blind mole-rat (Spalax leucodon) mounds

The ability to mental mapping of the Middle East Blind Mole Rat - Spalax ehrenbergi

Also referred to as Palestine Mole Rat, Spalax ehrenbergi (Rodentia - Spalacidae) is a subterranean rodent that digs a borrow system in which it stays most of its life. This animal occurs in Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Syrian Arab Republic, and Turkey.

As indicated by its common name, the Middle East Blind Mole Rat is a completely blind species, their eyes being beneath a layer of skin. Although the eyes of Spalax ehrenbergi are not used for visual purposes, they are still photoreceptive and its circadian clock is influence by external light. Although mole rats’ eyes had undergone degeneration during the course of their evolution, the mole rats have evolved effective compensatory means to efficiently navigate and find their way. Indeed, mole rats were found to have strong tactile and magnetic sensory abilities, and produce and utilize seismic vibrations, all of which could facilitate the mapping of an unfamiliar environment.

The Middle East Blind Mole Rat seems to have developed a spatial representation capacity that is comparable with that of sighted rodents, and in some cases may even exceed them. In the wild, it spends most of its life in a closed tunnel system that may span over 40 m in length. It repeatedly patrols and monitors this territory for changes.

Evidence that mole rats possess a sort of ‘mental’ or imaginary map of their tunnel system comes from their striking ability to dig bypasses to reconnect a tunnel bisected by an obstacle. Moreover, they are able to identify and exploit the shortest available detour of the obstacle when provided with short and long detour choices.

References: [1] - [2]

Now picture the cancer research lab of the future – white coats, test tubes, and, if Prof. Aaron Avivi at Haifa University has his way — cages of mole rats.

Pioneering studies in Israel appear to demonstrate that the subterranean Israeli blind mole rat, Spalax, is far superior to lab mice for the purpose of cracking the mystery of human cancer.

These wild rodents are extremely resistant to cancer and live 10 times as long as mice, according to Avivi, head of the Laboratory of Subterranean Mammals Biology in the Evolution Institute of Haifa University, and senior researchers Imad Shams, PhD, and Dr. Irena Manov.

Farmers may hate these hairy, sausage-shaped pests that live in underground tunnels, but cancer researchers will learn to love them, Avivi promises.