The Role of Geography, Diet, and Host Phylogeny on the Gut Microbiome in the Hawaiian Honeycreeper Radiation.

ABSTRACT: The animal gut microbiome can have a strong influence on the health, fitness, and behavior of its hosts. The composition of the gut microbial community can be influenced by factors such as diet, environment, and evolutionary history (phylosymbiosis). However, the relative influence of these factors is unknown in most bird species. Furthermore, phylosymbiosis studies have largely focused on clades that diverged tens of millions of years ago, and little is known about the degree of gut microbiome divergence in more recent species radiations. This study explores the drivers of microbiome variation across the unique and recent Hawaiian honeycreeper radiation (Fringillidae: Drepanidinae). Fecal samples were collected from 14 extant species spanning the main islands of the Hawaiian archipelago a

SUBMITTER: Costantini MS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11480636 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature