Overview
- Researchers at the Lewin Lab identified isopropyl myristate as a compound found only on breeding queens and peaking with ovulation.
- Olfactory tests and brain imaging showed non-breeding mole-rats detect the compound through their noses and activate the olfactory bulb.
- Lab trials found daily application of isopropyl myristate raised prolactin, lowered progesterone, and prevented pregnancies in non-breeding pairs.
- At the colony scale, removing a queen but dosing the tunnels with the compound for months stopped the usual violent fights for succession and kept colonies peaceful.
- The study was published in Nature in mid‑July and leaves open how queens make the compound, which receptors link smell to hormones, and whether similar chemical control exists in other mammals.