Multilevel social structure and diet shape the gut microbiota of the gelada monkey, the only grazing primate.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The gelada monkey (Theropithecus gelada), endemic to the Ethiopian highlands, is the only graminivorous primate, i.e., it feeds mainly on grasses and sedges. In spite of known dental, manual, and locomotor adaptations, the intestinal anatomy of geladas is similar to that of other primates. We currently lack a clear understanding of the adaptations in digestive physiology necessary for this species to subsist on a graminoid-based diet, but digestion in other graminivores, such as ruminants, relies heavily on the microbial community residing in the gastrointestinal (GI) system. Furthermore, geladas form complex, multilevel societies, making them a suitable system for investigating links between sociality and the GI microbiota.

Results

Here, we explore the gastrointe

SUBMITTER: Trosvik P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5935910 | biostudies-literature | 2018 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature