Most female mammals have a finite number of egg cells and become less fertile with age, but naked mole-rats seem to be eternally fertile. Now, researchers think they’ve cracked how these weird mammals do it.

Naked mole-rats are among the strangest mammals on the planet. Not only do they live longer than any other rodent ‒ up to 37 years ‒ they can also have babies well into old age. Now, scientists think they’ve worked out how: The remarkable rodents’ secret is that they never run out of egg cells.

A new study, published today (Feb. 21) in the journal Nature Communications(opens in new tab), investigated how naked mole-rats (Heterocephalus glaber) stay fertile, and the findings challenge the belief that mammals have a limited reserve of egg cells, established before or shortly after birth, and not replenished thereafter.

In the study, researchers compared the number of egg cells and death rate of these cells in mice and naked mole-rats at different stages of development.

Most female mammals, including mice and humans, are born with a finite reserve of egg cells, which are naturally depleted over time.

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