Gut microbiome of the three Mexican non-human primate species

What is it about?

Three non-human primates are distributed in Mexico, the black and the mantled howler monkeys (Alouatta pigra and A. palliata, respectively) and the spider monkey (Ateles geoffroyi). These monkeys are critically endangered due to hunting, illegal trade and habitat loss (deforestation, agriculture, crops/pastures, urbanization), and their populations are mostly fragmented and isolated. Interestingly, the howler monkeys hybridize (individuals of two different species crossbreed) in a narrow contact zone where their distributions overlap. The gut microbiota is a community of microorganisms composed of virus, bacteria, archaea, fungi and protozoa. In mammals, it plays a crucial role in host nutrition, physiology and health, among others. Despite primates have been a model system to study the microbiota, little is know regarding wild populations of tropical primate species. We studied the gut microbial communities of the three Mexican species and found that A. geoffroyi harbors the more differentiated microbiota, related to its more frugivorous diet compared to the howlers folivorous feeding. The hybrid individuals exhibit some unique taxa that distinguish them, yet their overall diversity patterns are more similar to A. pigra, which is likely associated with A. pigra mothers transferring their microbiome to their offspring. Importantly, the observed microbial abundance and composition is higher in more conserved regions characterized mostly by tall evergreen tropical forest. Understanding the host-gut microbiome interactions in wild primates is crucial for their management and conservation.

Featured Image

Photo by Kyle Cleveland on Unsplash

Photo by Kyle Cleveland on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Understanding the host-gut microbiome interactions in wild non-human primates is crucial for their management and conservation.

Perspectives

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Our study contributes to the fill the knowledge gap regarding non-human primates from the Tropics

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