The gut microbiota of three avian species living in sympatry
Abstract Background Evolutionary divergence and genetic variation are often linked to differences in microbial community structure and diversity. While environmental factors and diet heavily influence gut microbial communities, host species contributions are harder to quantify. Closely related speci...
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BMC
2024-11-01
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| Series: | BMC Ecology and Evolution |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12862-024-02329-9 |
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| author | Hugo Pereira Nayden Chakarov Barbara A. Caspers Marc Gilles William Jones Tafitasoa Mijoro Sama Zefania Tamás Székely Oliver Krüger Joseph I. Hoffman |
| author_facet | Hugo Pereira Nayden Chakarov Barbara A. Caspers Marc Gilles William Jones Tafitasoa Mijoro Sama Zefania Tamás Székely Oliver Krüger Joseph I. Hoffman |
| author_sort | Hugo Pereira |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Evolutionary divergence and genetic variation are often linked to differences in microbial community structure and diversity. While environmental factors and diet heavily influence gut microbial communities, host species contributions are harder to quantify. Closely related species living in sympatry provide a unique opportunity to investigate species differences without the confounding effects of habitat and dietary variation. We therefore compared and contrasted the gut microbiota of three sympatric plover species: the widespread Kittlitz’s and white-fronted plovers (Anarhynchus pecuarius and A. marginatus) and the endemic and vulnerable Madagascar plover (A. thoracicus). Results We found no significant differences in the beta diversity (composition) of the gut microbiota of the three species. However, A. thoracicus exhibited higher intraspecific compositional similarity (i.e. lower pairwise distances) than the other two species; this pattern was especially pronounced among juveniles. By contrast, microbial alpha diversity varied significantly among the species, being highest in A. pecuarius, intermediate in A. marginatus and lowest in A. thoracicus. This pattern was again stronger among juveniles. Geographical distance did not significantly affect the composition of the gut microbiota, but genetic relatedness did. Conclusion While patterns of microbial diversity varied across species, the lack of compositional differences suggests that habitat and diet likely exert a strong influence on the gut microbiota of plovers. This may be enhanced by their precocial, ground-dwelling nature, which could facilitate the horizontal transmission of microbes from the environment. We hypothesise that gut microbiota diversity in plovers primarily reflects the ecological pool of microbiota, which is subsequently modified by host-specific factors including genetics. The reduced microbial and genetic diversity of the endemic A. thoracicus may hinder its ability to adapt to environmental changes, highlighting the need for increased conservation efforts for this vulnerable species. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ac38c933cc494601826d1bca4ebbd5bf |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2730-7182 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-11-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj-art-ac38c933cc494601826d1bca4ebbd5bf2025-08-20T02:32:56ZengBMCBMC Ecology and Evolution2730-71822024-11-0124111510.1186/s12862-024-02329-9The gut microbiota of three avian species living in sympatryHugo Pereira0Nayden Chakarov1Barbara A. Caspers2Marc Gilles3William Jones4Tafitasoa Mijoro5Sama Zefania6Tamás Székely7Oliver Krüger8Joseph I. Hoffman9Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld UniversityDepartment of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld UniversityDepartment of Behavioural Ecology, Bielefeld UniversityDepartment of Behavioural Ecology, Bielefeld UniversityInstitut Supérieur de Technologie de Menabe, Université of Toliara & MorondavaHUN-REN-Debrecen University Reproductive Strategies Research Group, University of DebrecenHUN-REN-Debrecen University Reproductive Strategies Research Group, University of DebrecenInstitut Supérieur de Technologie de Menabe, Université of Toliara & MorondavaDepartment of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld UniversityDepartment of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld UniversityAbstract Background Evolutionary divergence and genetic variation are often linked to differences in microbial community structure and diversity. While environmental factors and diet heavily influence gut microbial communities, host species contributions are harder to quantify. Closely related species living in sympatry provide a unique opportunity to investigate species differences without the confounding effects of habitat and dietary variation. We therefore compared and contrasted the gut microbiota of three sympatric plover species: the widespread Kittlitz’s and white-fronted plovers (Anarhynchus pecuarius and A. marginatus) and the endemic and vulnerable Madagascar plover (A. thoracicus). Results We found no significant differences in the beta diversity (composition) of the gut microbiota of the three species. However, A. thoracicus exhibited higher intraspecific compositional similarity (i.e. lower pairwise distances) than the other two species; this pattern was especially pronounced among juveniles. By contrast, microbial alpha diversity varied significantly among the species, being highest in A. pecuarius, intermediate in A. marginatus and lowest in A. thoracicus. This pattern was again stronger among juveniles. Geographical distance did not significantly affect the composition of the gut microbiota, but genetic relatedness did. Conclusion While patterns of microbial diversity varied across species, the lack of compositional differences suggests that habitat and diet likely exert a strong influence on the gut microbiota of plovers. This may be enhanced by their precocial, ground-dwelling nature, which could facilitate the horizontal transmission of microbes from the environment. We hypothesise that gut microbiota diversity in plovers primarily reflects the ecological pool of microbiota, which is subsequently modified by host-specific factors including genetics. The reduced microbial and genetic diversity of the endemic A. thoracicus may hinder its ability to adapt to environmental changes, highlighting the need for increased conservation efforts for this vulnerable species.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12862-024-02329-9Gut microbiotaGeneticsHolobiontEndemicMadagascarPlovers |
| spellingShingle | Hugo Pereira Nayden Chakarov Barbara A. Caspers Marc Gilles William Jones Tafitasoa Mijoro Sama Zefania Tamás Székely Oliver Krüger Joseph I. Hoffman The gut microbiota of three avian species living in sympatry BMC Ecology and Evolution Gut microbiota Genetics Holobiont Endemic Madagascar Plovers |
| title | The gut microbiota of three avian species living in sympatry |
| title_full | The gut microbiota of three avian species living in sympatry |
| title_fullStr | The gut microbiota of three avian species living in sympatry |
| title_full_unstemmed | The gut microbiota of three avian species living in sympatry |
| title_short | The gut microbiota of three avian species living in sympatry |
| title_sort | gut microbiota of three avian species living in sympatry |
| topic | Gut microbiota Genetics Holobiont Endemic Madagascar Plovers |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12862-024-02329-9 |
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