Gut Bacteria Evolution: How the Environment Shapes Them
- A new study of wild african herbivores reveals that environmental conditions, alongside diet and anatomy, significantly influence teh evolution of gut microbes crucial for animal health.
- "There's a concept in ecology called phylosymbiosis,which is basically the idea that as species evolve and diverge from each other,their gut microbiomes will also diverge in a predictable...
- However, previous research has shown this isn't consistently observed, prompting the current inquiry.
Gut Environment, Not Just Diet, Drives Herbivore Gut Microbiome Evolution
A new study of wild african herbivores reveals that environmental conditions, alongside diet and anatomy, significantly influence teh evolution of gut microbes crucial for animal health. Researchers at North Carolina State University and Northern Michigan University found that the relationship between species evolution and gut microbiome divergence isn’t always predictable.
“There’s a concept in ecology called phylosymbiosis,which is basically the idea that as species evolve and diverge from each other,their gut microbiomes will also diverge in a predictable way,” explains Erin McKenney,assistant professor of applied ecology at North Carolina State University.
However, previous research has shown this isn’t consistently observed, prompting the current inquiry.
“Our work here was focused on determining whether there was evidence of phylosymbiosis among herbivore species in an arid ecosystem-and whether we could identify any factors that may play a role in fostering or inhibiting phylosymbiosis,” says Rylee Jensen,the study’s corresponding author and a recent master’s graduate from Northern Michigan University.
The study’s findings suggest that environmental factors play a key role in shaping gut microbiome evolution. Further details of the research are forthcoming.