Multi-level comparisons of cloacal, skin, feather and nest-associated microbiota suggest considerable influence of horizontal acquisition on the microbiota assembly of sympatric woodlarks and skylarks.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Working toward a general framework to understand the role of microbiota in animal biology requires the characterisation of animal-associated microbial communities and identification of the evolutionary and ecological factors shaping their variation. In this study, we described the microbiota in the cloaca, brood patch skin and feathers of two species of birds and the microbial communities in their nest environment. We compared patterns of resemblance between these microbial communities at different levels of biological organisation (species, individual, body part) and investigated the phylogenetic structure to deduce potential microbial community assembly processes.

Results

Using 16S rRNA gene amplicon data of woodlarks (Lullula arborea) and skylarks (Alauda arven

SUBMITTER: van Veelen HPJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5709917 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature