Evolutionary relatedness is a partially reliable predictor of host-associated microbiome composition
Multicellular animals emerged into a microbial world and continue to be influenced by sympatric bacterial species. Host-associated microbiomes are recognized as critical contributors to their living domiciles success. Detailing how microbiomes are assembled and maintained by their hosts has important implications for animal health, agricultural productivity, and biodiversity interventions across…
Evolutionary relatedness between host species is sometimes a useful indicator of similarities in their associated microbiomes, according to a recent study. Researchers analyzed microbiome data from 113 insect species belonging to 14 different orders. The study found a moderate correlation (Mantel test: r = 0.392, p-value) between the relatedness of host species and the composition of their microbiomes.
This suggests that some bacterial genera tend to consistently appear in specific host species, supporting theories like phylosymbiosis which propose that microbiomes often mirror host species relatedness. The findings have implications for understanding animal health, agricultural productivity, and biodiversity interventions across the tree of life.
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