White-faced capuchin monkey microbiome
Energy demands associated with pregnancy and lactation are significant forces in mammalian evolution. To mitigate increased energy costs associated with reproduction, female mammals have evolved behavioural and physiological responses. Some species alter activity to conserve energy during pregnancy and lactation, while others experience changes in metabolism and fat deposition. Restructuring of gut microbiota with shifting reproductive states may also help females increase energy harvest from foods, especially during pregnancy. The goal of this study was to examine the relationships among behaviour, gut microbiota composition, and reproductive state in a wild, non-human primate to better understanding reproductive ecology. We combine life history data with >13,000 behavioural scans and >300 fecal samples collected longitudinally across multiple years from 33 white-faced capuchin monkey (Cebus imitator) females. We used 16S-based amplicon sequencing and the DADA2 pipeline to analyze microbial diversity and putative functions.Reproductive state explained some variation in activity, but overall resting and foraging behaviours were relatively stable across the reproductive cycle. We found evidence for decreased richness in pregnant individuals compared to cycling and lactating individuals. Otherwise, gut microbiota structure and estimated functions were not substantially different among reproductive states. These data contribute to a broader understanding of plasticity in response to physiological shifts associated with mammalian reproduction.