Overview
- Researchers identified isopropyl myristate (IPM) as a compound produced almost exclusively by queens and peaking at ovulation, based on chemical profiles of many colony members.
- Brain imaging and behavioural tests show non‑breeding females detect IPM with their nose and that exposure activates olfactory neurons linked to hormonal change.
- Lab experiments demonstrated that IPM raises prolactin and alters progesterone in subordinate females and is sufficient to block their fertility even when the queen is absent.
- When scientists removed a queen and applied IPM daily to the colony there were no succession fights or pregnancies for months, and when application stopped high‑ranking females resumed fighting and one became pregnant within weeks.
- The work, published July 15, 2026, explains a long‑standing puzzle about mammal eusociality but leaves open how scent detection links to endocrine change and whether the same chemical control works across other social mole‑rat species.