The gut of the finch: uniqueness of the gut microbiome of the Galapagos vampire finch.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Darwin's finches are a clade of 19 species of passerine birds native to the Galápagos Islands, whose biogeography, specialized beak morphologies, and dietary choices-ranging from seeds to blood-make them a classic example of adaptive radiation. While these iconic birds have been intensely studied, the composition of their gut microbiome and the factors influencing it, including host species, diet, and biogeography, has not yet been explored.

Results

We characterized the microbial community associated with 12 species of Darwin's finches using high-throughput 16S rRNA sequencing of fecal samples from 114 individuals across nine islands, including the unusual blood-feeding vampire finch (Geospiza septentrionalis) from Darwin and Wolf Islands. The phylum-level core gu

SUBMITTER: Michel AJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6146768 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature