Bite force in the strictly subterranean rodent family of African mole-rats (Bathyergidae): the role of digging mode, social organisation, and ecology

Bite force is an ecologically relevant performance trait that has been measured to better understand the adaptations to diet and habitat use. Moreover, bite force is relevant in understanding reproductive success, as well as inter- and intraspecific competition. African mole-rats (Bathyergidae, Rodentia) are a unique clade of mammals that use different digging strategies, show different types of social organisation, and occur in ecologically diverse savannah habitats in Sub-Saharan Africa. Whereas previous studies have suggested these animals have exceptionally high bite forces, the ecological and other proximate and ultimate drivers of variation in bite force in the group remain unstudied. In the present study we measured in vivo bite force of 394 adult specimens from ten African mole-rat species including all genera within the family. Our results show that in African mole-rats digging mode is a major driver of variation in bite force, with chisel-tooth diggers being stronger biters th...