title: Patterns in Gut Microbiota Similarity Associated with Degree of Sociality among Sex Classes of a Neotropical Primate.
abstract: Studies of human and domestic animal models indicate that related individuals and those that spend the most time in physical contact typically have more similar gut microbial communities. However, few studies have examined these factors in wild mammals where complex social dynamics and a variety of interacting environmental factors may impact the patterns observed in controlled systems. Here, we explore the effect of host kinship and time spent in social contact on the gut microbiota of wild, black howler monkeys (Alouatta pigra). Our results indicate that closely related individuals had less similar gut microbial communities than non-related individuals. However, the effect was small. In contrast, as previously reported in baboons and chimpanzees, individuals that spent more time in contact (0 m) and close proximity (0-1 m) had more similar gut microbial communities. This pattern was driven by adult female-adult female dyads, which generally spend more time in social contact than adult male-adult male dyads or adult male-adult female dyads. Relative abundances of individual microbial genera such as Bacteroides, Clostridium, and Streptococcus were also more similar in individuals that spent more time in contact or close proximity. Overall, our data suggest that even in arboreal primates that live in small social groups and spend a relatively low proportion of their time in physical contact, social interactions are associated with variation in gut microbiota composition. Additionally, these results demonstrate that within a given host species, subgroups of individuals may interact with the gut microbiota differently.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, 1810 Hinman Ave, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA. katherine.amato@northwestern.edu.
authors.forename: Katherine R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Amato
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Sarie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Van Belle
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Di Fiore
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico.
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Estrada
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA.|Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stumpf
authors.affiliation: Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA.|Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Bryan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: White
authors.affiliation: J. Craig Venter Institute, Rockville, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Karen E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Rob
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Knight
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA.
authors.forename: Steven R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Leigh
mesh_terms: D000508:Alouatta / Q000382:microbiology*; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D000069196:Gastrointestinal Microbiome; D008297:Male; D012919:Social Behavior
keywords: Alouatta; Gut microbiota; Kinship; Social contact