The social microbiome: the relationship between the microbiome and sociality in a wild mammal
Abstract
The microbiome has a well-documented relationship with host behavior. Greater microbial diversity and specific microbes have been associated with improved fitness, though these associations have been studied almost exclusively in captive animals with implications for human health. In wild populations, the microbiome has important fitness consequences, such as being associated with mass gain and body condition, and specifically, microbial diversity has been associated with increased individual stability and resistance to over-domination of specific microbes. An individual's social behavior also has important fitness consequences for acquiring food resources and avoiding predation. While both factors individually influence fitness, the relationship between the microbiome and sociality is understudied. Here we use social network analysis to quantify the relationship between microbial diversity and a variety of attributes of social relationships in a wild, free-living population of yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventer). We found no significant associations between microbial diversity and social network measures, suggesting that in facultatively social mammals, microbial diversity does not explain variation in the social relationship structure. Further research must be completed to examine the impact of social behavior on microbial composition and diversity.
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References (98)
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