Browsing by Author "Raulo, Aura"

Microbiota, the microbial communities living in the gut, skin and glands of vertebrates, is the functional link between a physiological individual and it s surrounding ecosystem. Mutualistic microbes play a role in social systems as well, since they are transmitted through social behaviors and claimed to affect host sociality and behavior. Furthermore, individual stress physiology can affect both behavior and microbiota. I took first steps to reveal the role of gut microbiota in the social dynamics of a group-living cooperative primate, the red-bellied lemur (Eulemur rubriventer). Gut microbiota was affected by seasonal change, stress hormonal profile and pregnancy, and individuals were found to have a strongly group-specific gut microbial composition, highlighting the role of social environment in determining gut microbial composition. Unlike expected, individual sociality was negatively associated with gut microbial diversity. Gut microbiota seems to be largely determined by social factors in this species, indicating that social transmission of beneficial microbiota might have played a role in the evolution of sociality.