Diet-microbiome covariation across three giraffe species in a close-contact zone
The biodiverse group of ruminant mammals are entirely dependent on their gut microbiota to extract energy and nutrients from their foods, making these symbionts vital to survival. Because variation in wildlife diets can select for distinct communities of gut bacteria, different foraging choices can...
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Elsevier
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Global Ecology and Conservation |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989425000812 |
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| author | Elin Videvall Brian A. Gill Michael B. Brown Hannah K. Hoff Bethan L. Littleford-Colquhoun Peter Lokeny Paul M. Musili Tyler R. Kartzinel |
| author_facet | Elin Videvall Brian A. Gill Michael B. Brown Hannah K. Hoff Bethan L. Littleford-Colquhoun Peter Lokeny Paul M. Musili Tyler R. Kartzinel |
| author_sort | Elin Videvall |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The biodiverse group of ruminant mammals are entirely dependent on their gut microbiota to extract energy and nutrients from their foods, making these symbionts vital to survival. Because variation in wildlife diets can select for distinct communities of gut bacteria, different foraging choices can have both nutritional effects and other microbially-mediated effects on animal well-being. Despite the proliferation of studies focusing on host-microbiome interactions in recent decades, few prior studies have quantified the level and extent of diet-microbiome linkages in wildlife. Therefore, we used DNA metabarcoding to compare the diets and gut microbiomes of giraffes, the world’s largest ruminant. We focused on three giraffe species—reticulated, northern, and Masai—that occur along a near-contact zone in equatorial Kenya. We found large differences in both the composition and diversity of diets and microbiomes within and among populations. However, contrary to expectations, we found very little evidence for links between the composition of individual diets and their corresponding microbiomes. Instead, geographic proximity strongly predicted diet similarity whereas host-species identity strongly predicted microbiome composition. The lack of diet-microbiome linkages across these giraffe populations—coupled with the evidence that species differed strongly in diet and microbiome compositions—highlights the possibility that their history of ecological and evolutionary divergence has generated unique, species-specific gut microbiomes. Moreover, striking levels of diet variation were revealed among neighboring populations of giraffe from the same species, and thus baseline knowledge of their resource-use diversity could support ongoing efforts to geographically tailor management strategies aimed at conserving local food staples under environmental change. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-fb8b2c57e6184d0d8546b08917be5608 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2351-9894 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Global Ecology and Conservation |
| spelling | doaj-art-fb8b2c57e6184d0d8546b08917be56082025-02-07T04:47:44ZengElsevierGlobal Ecology and Conservation2351-98942025-04-0158e03480Diet-microbiome covariation across three giraffe species in a close-contact zoneElin Videvall0Brian A. Gill1Michael B. Brown2Hannah K. Hoff3Bethan L. Littleford-Colquhoun4Peter Lokeny5Paul M. Musili6Tyler R. Kartzinel7Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA; Institute at Brown for Environment and Society, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA; Animal Ecology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Uppsala 75236, Sweden; Corresponding authors at: Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA.Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA; Institute at Brown for Environment and Society, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USAGiraffe Conservation Foundation, Windhoek, NamibiaDepartment of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA; Institute at Brown for Environment and Society, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USADepartment of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA; Institute at Brown for Environment and Society, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USAMpala Research Centre, Laikipia, KenyaEast African Herbarium, Botany Department, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, KenyaDepartment of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA; Institute at Brown for Environment and Society, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA; Mpala Research Centre, Laikipia, Kenya; Corresponding authors at: Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA.The biodiverse group of ruminant mammals are entirely dependent on their gut microbiota to extract energy and nutrients from their foods, making these symbionts vital to survival. Because variation in wildlife diets can select for distinct communities of gut bacteria, different foraging choices can have both nutritional effects and other microbially-mediated effects on animal well-being. Despite the proliferation of studies focusing on host-microbiome interactions in recent decades, few prior studies have quantified the level and extent of diet-microbiome linkages in wildlife. Therefore, we used DNA metabarcoding to compare the diets and gut microbiomes of giraffes, the world’s largest ruminant. We focused on three giraffe species—reticulated, northern, and Masai—that occur along a near-contact zone in equatorial Kenya. We found large differences in both the composition and diversity of diets and microbiomes within and among populations. However, contrary to expectations, we found very little evidence for links between the composition of individual diets and their corresponding microbiomes. Instead, geographic proximity strongly predicted diet similarity whereas host-species identity strongly predicted microbiome composition. The lack of diet-microbiome linkages across these giraffe populations—coupled with the evidence that species differed strongly in diet and microbiome compositions—highlights the possibility that their history of ecological and evolutionary divergence has generated unique, species-specific gut microbiomes. Moreover, striking levels of diet variation were revealed among neighboring populations of giraffe from the same species, and thus baseline knowledge of their resource-use diversity could support ongoing efforts to geographically tailor management strategies aimed at conserving local food staples under environmental change.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989425000812DNA metabarcodingGiraffidaeMicrobiotaDietary preferencesKenya |
| spellingShingle | Elin Videvall Brian A. Gill Michael B. Brown Hannah K. Hoff Bethan L. Littleford-Colquhoun Peter Lokeny Paul M. Musili Tyler R. Kartzinel Diet-microbiome covariation across three giraffe species in a close-contact zone Global Ecology and Conservation DNA metabarcoding Giraffidae Microbiota Dietary preferences Kenya |
| title | Diet-microbiome covariation across three giraffe species in a close-contact zone |
| title_full | Diet-microbiome covariation across three giraffe species in a close-contact zone |
| title_fullStr | Diet-microbiome covariation across three giraffe species in a close-contact zone |
| title_full_unstemmed | Diet-microbiome covariation across three giraffe species in a close-contact zone |
| title_short | Diet-microbiome covariation across three giraffe species in a close-contact zone |
| title_sort | diet microbiome covariation across three giraffe species in a close contact zone |
| topic | DNA metabarcoding Giraffidae Microbiota Dietary preferences Kenya |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989425000812 |
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