Gut microbiota individuality is contingent on temporal scale and age in wild meerkats.

ABSTRACT: Inter-individual differences in gut microbiota composition are hypothesized to generate variation in host fitness-a premise for the evolution of host-gut microbe symbioses. However, recent evidence suggests that gut microbial communities are highly dynamic, challenging the notion that individuals harbour unique gut microbial phenotypes. Leveraging a long-term dataset of wild meerkats, we reconcile these concepts by demonstrating that the relative importance of identity for shaping gut microbiota phenotypes depends on the temporal scale. Across meerkat lifespan, year-to-year variation overshadowed the effects of identity and social group in predicting gut microbiota composition, with identity explaining on average less than 2% of variation. However, identity was the strongest predictor of m

SUBMITTER: Risely A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9382201 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature