Naked mole-rats are the perfect example of why we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. They might look like someone decided to make a rat and had to call it a day before they had the chance to add fur, but by looking beneath the surface, these wrinkly little rodents are teaching scientists all sorts of new things about aging and cancer. The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the full content.

As anyone who had a hamster for a childhood pet will no doubt be aware of, some rodents really don’t live all that long. Those included in a group of rodents known as the Murinae – featuring the classic house mouse and brown rat – for example, only have a maximum lifespan of under five years .

Naked mole-rats sit on the other end of the spectrum, to th

See Full Page