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Layers of Symbiosis - Visualizing the Termite Hindgut Microbial Community
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The holobiont concept before Margulis.

Jan Baedke1,2, Alejandro Fábregas-Tejeda1,3, Abigail Nieves Delgado1,4

  • 1Department of Philosophy I, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.

Journal of Experimental Zoology. Part B, Molecular and Developmental Evolution
|February 11, 2020
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The holobiont concept, now central to host-microbiota research, was first introduced by Adolf Meyer-Abich in 1943, not Lynn Margulis. Meyer-Abich

Keywords:
Adolf Meyer-AbichHolobiontLynn Margulisholobiosishologenomemicrobiome

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Developmental Biology
  • Microbiology

Background:

  • The concept of the holobiont, a unit of biological study comprising a host and its symbiotic microorganisms, is widely attributed to Lynn Margulis in the 1990s.
  • However, historical analysis reveals that German biologist Adolf Meyer-Abich first proposed the holobiont concept in 1943, nearly fifty years prior.

Discussion:

  • Meyer-Abich developed a comprehensive theory of evolutionary change through "holobiosis" between the 1940s and 1960s.
  • His work explored themes now central to evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo), including the origins of biological form and variation.
  • Meyer-Abich's holistic approach also anticipated key aspects of Margulis' later endosymbiotic theory.

Key Insights:

  • Adolf Meyer-Abich independently originated the holobiont concept in the 1940s.
  • His theoretical framework predates and parallels later developments in symbiosis and evolutionary biology.
  • Recognizing Meyer-Abich's contribution offers a more complete understanding of the holobiont concept's intellectual history.

Outlook:

  • The field of holobiont research, encompassing host-microbiota collectives and hologenomes, should acknowledge the independent origin of this concept.
  • Integrating Meyer-Abich's foundational work can enrich current perspectives on symbiosis and evolution.
  • Further exploration of Meyer-Abich's "holobiosis" theory may reveal additional insights relevant to contemporary biological studies.