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Bats Are an Untapped System for Understanding Microbiome Evolution in Mammals
Melissa R Ingala1,2,3, Nancy B Simmons4,2, Susan L Perkins4,3,5
1Richard Gilder Graduate School, American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York, USA ingala.melissar@gmail.com.
Msphere
|September 21, 2018
Summary
Bats offer a novel model system for studying mammalian gut microbiome evolution. This research explores how microbial symbionts influence host ecology and phylogenetic radiation across diverse mammal species.
Area of Science:
- Microbiome research
- Evolutionary biology
- Metagenomics
Background:
- Mammalian evolution is intertwined with microbial symbionts, particularly gut microbes.
- Metagenomics studies how gut microbes facilitate mammalian ecological and phylogenetic radiation.
- Current research is limited to a few mammal taxa, hindering understanding of broad evolutionary patterns.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify a suitable model system for wildlife microbiome research.
- To test hypotheses on metagenomic involvement in host ecology and evolution.
- To investigate the role of gut microbiome in mammalian evolution.
Main Methods:
- Comparative microbiome research
- Analysis of host phylogeny, diet, and natural history
- Hypothesis testing in a model system
Main Results:
- Bats (Order: Chiroptera) are proposed as an ideal model system.
- Bats provide opportunities to study host-microbiome co-evolution.
- This model allows examination of microbiome function across mammal phylogeny.
Conclusions:
- Bats are a promising model for comparative microbiome research.
- Studying bat microbiomes can elucidate broader patterns of mammalian evolution.
- This approach can advance our understanding of host-microbe interactions in wildlife.
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