Impact of animal socioecology on gut microbial communities: Insights from wild meerkats in the Kalahari.

ABSTRACT: The social organisation of animals likely shapes the composition, diversity and stability of microbiomes, giving rise to the concept of the 'social microbiome'-microbial communities shared within and across social units, or 'islands', ranging from individuals to entire ecosystems. Understanding the connections and their underlying drivers is crucial for revealing how socioecology influences microbiomes and associated health outcomes. However, empirical assessments are still limited, and the relative influence of social organisation compared to intrinsic (biological) and extrinsic (environmental) factors in shaping microbiomes is particularly unclear. Here, we used a long-term, individual-based study of Kalahari meerkats (Suricata suricatta) to test predictions from the social microbiome co

SUBMITTER: Balasubramaniam K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12673242 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature