Seasonal Dietary Shifts Alter the Gut Microbiota of Avivorous Bats: Implication for Adaptation to Energy Harvest and Nutritional Utilization
Lixin Gong, Boyu Liu, Hui Wu, Jiang Feng, Tinglei Jiang
Abstract
were associated with higher energy demands for hunting birds and fat storage for entering hibernation and migration. Our study provides novel insight into the role of gut bacteria in generating ecological diversity and flexibility in wild mammals. The results are valuable for clarifying the complicated host-microbiota-physiology relationship in a dietary niche expansion context.
Topics & Concepts
BiologyInsectivoreFirmicutesMicrobiomeGut floraEcologyEcological nicheNicheBacteroidetesAdaptation (eye)Microbial ecologyProteobacteriaZoologyMicrobial population biologyHost (biology)ForagingBeta diversityBiodiversityHabitatBacteria16S ribosomal RNANeuroscienceBioinformaticsImmunologyGeneticsBat Biology and Ecology StudiesGut microbiota and healthSpecies Distribution and Climate Change