Coprophagy rapidly matures juvenile gut microbiota in a precocial bird.

ABSTRACT: Coprophagy is a behavior where animals consume feces, and has been observed across a wide range of species, including birds and mammals. The phenomenon is particularly prevalent in juveniles, but the reasons for this remain unclear. One hypothesis is that coprophagy enables offspring to acquire beneficial gut microbes that aid development. However, despite the potential importance of this behavior, studies investigating the effects in juveniles are rare. Here we experimentally test this idea by examining how ingestion of adult feces by ostrich chicks affects their gut microbiota development, growth, feeding behavior, pathogen abundance, and mortality. We conducted extensive longitudinal experiments for 8 weeks, repeated over 2 years. It involved 240 chicks, of which 128 were provided daily

SUBMITTER: Videvall E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10355177 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature