TitleGut microflora may facilitate adaptation to anthropic habitat: A comparative study in .
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2018
AuthorsVarudkar A, Ramakrishnan U
JournalEcol Evol
Volume8
Issue13
Pagination6463-6472
Date Published2018 Jul
ISSN2045-7758
Abstract

Anthropophilic species ("commensal" species) that are completely dependent upon anthropic habitats experience different selective pressures particularly in terms of food than their noncommensal counterparts. Using a next-generation sequencing approach, we characterized and compared the gut microflora community of 53 commensal and 59 noncommensal captured in 10 locations in the Western Ghats, India. We observed that, while species identity was important in characterizing the microflora communities of the two hosts, environmental factors also had a significant effect. While there was significant geographic variation in the microflora of the noncommensal , there was no effect of geographic distance on gut microflora of the commensal . Interestingly, host genetic distance did not significantly influence the community in either hosts. Collectively, these results indicate that a shift in habitat is likely to result in a change in the gut microflora community and imply that the gut microflora is a complex trait, influenced by various parameters in different habitats.

DOI10.1002/ece3.4040
Alternate JournalEcol Evol
PubMed ID30038748
PubMed Central IDPMC6053588