Climate, diet, and nutrition drive gut microbiome variation in a fruit-specialist primate
Abstract Much of what we know about drivers of mammalian gut microbiome (GM) variation focuses on limited seasonal data, or effects of dietary fiber, particularly in leaf-eating and grazing taxa. We know little about the synergistic relationships between climate, diet, nutrition, and GM dynamics in...
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Nature Portfolio
2025-07-01
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-07399-3 |
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| author | Nina Beeby Lahitsara Jean Pierre Razafindraibe Faustin Jean Guy Rakotonjatovo Justin Tombotiana Aimé Victor Giulia Rossi Lotte van den Hout Jessica M. Rothman Katherine R. Amato Timothy H. Webster Andrea L. Baden |
| author_facet | Nina Beeby Lahitsara Jean Pierre Razafindraibe Faustin Jean Guy Rakotonjatovo Justin Tombotiana Aimé Victor Giulia Rossi Lotte van den Hout Jessica M. Rothman Katherine R. Amato Timothy H. Webster Andrea L. Baden |
| author_sort | Nina Beeby |
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| description | Abstract Much of what we know about drivers of mammalian gut microbiome (GM) variation focuses on limited seasonal data, or effects of dietary fiber, particularly in leaf-eating and grazing taxa. We know little about the synergistic relationships between climate, diet, nutrition, and GM dynamics in wild mammals—particularly in fruit-eating taxa. Here, we examined GM variation across 12 months in a fruit-specialist primate, the black-and-white ruffed lemur (Varecia variegata), which is known to experience substantial environmental variation in its rainforest habitat in Madagascar. We used mixed modeling approaches to estimate the effects of climate, diet, and nutrient intakes on GM alpha diversity and differential abundances. We found substantial intra- and inter-individual GM variation. Climate and nutrient intakes impacted GM alpha diversity, and in addition to degree of frugivory and dietary diversity, each drove changes in differential abundance of unique combinations of microbial taxa. The degree of frugivory predicted few microbial abundances while nutrient intakes predicted a wide diversity, with fibers and non-structural carbohydrates showing inverse patterns to those of fat, indicating that nutrients are more important in driving the GM than simply the food types consumed. These results highlight how physiological flexibility facilitated by GM plasticity may be key to fruit-specialists’ survival of fruit scarcity. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a9a25be10eea44e2b34e5ba79f5c6623 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
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| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-a9a25be10eea44e2b34e5ba79f5c66232025-08-20T03:37:20ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-07-0115111410.1038/s41598-025-07399-3Climate, diet, and nutrition drive gut microbiome variation in a fruit-specialist primateNina Beeby0Lahitsara Jean Pierre1Razafindraibe Faustin Jean Guy2Rakotonjatovo Justin3Tombotiana Aimé Victor4Giulia Rossi5Lotte van den Hout6Jessica M. Rothman7Katherine R. Amato8Timothy H. Webster9Andrea L. Baden10Department of Anthropology, Hunter College of the City University of New YorkRanomafana Ruffed Lemur Project (RRLP)Ranomafana Ruffed Lemur Project (RRLP)Ranomafana Ruffed Lemur Project (RRLP)Ranomafana Ruffed Lemur Project (RRLP)Ranomafana Ruffed Lemur Project (RRLP)Ranomafana Ruffed Lemur Project (RRLP)Department of Anthropology, Hunter College of the City University of New YorkDepartment of Anthropology, Northwestern UniversityDepartment of Anthropology, University of UtahDepartment of Anthropology, Hunter College of the City University of New YorkAbstract Much of what we know about drivers of mammalian gut microbiome (GM) variation focuses on limited seasonal data, or effects of dietary fiber, particularly in leaf-eating and grazing taxa. We know little about the synergistic relationships between climate, diet, nutrition, and GM dynamics in wild mammals—particularly in fruit-eating taxa. Here, we examined GM variation across 12 months in a fruit-specialist primate, the black-and-white ruffed lemur (Varecia variegata), which is known to experience substantial environmental variation in its rainforest habitat in Madagascar. We used mixed modeling approaches to estimate the effects of climate, diet, and nutrient intakes on GM alpha diversity and differential abundances. We found substantial intra- and inter-individual GM variation. Climate and nutrient intakes impacted GM alpha diversity, and in addition to degree of frugivory and dietary diversity, each drove changes in differential abundance of unique combinations of microbial taxa. The degree of frugivory predicted few microbial abundances while nutrient intakes predicted a wide diversity, with fibers and non-structural carbohydrates showing inverse patterns to those of fat, indicating that nutrients are more important in driving the GM than simply the food types consumed. These results highlight how physiological flexibility facilitated by GM plasticity may be key to fruit-specialists’ survival of fruit scarcity.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-07399-3Nutrient intakesMacronutrientsGut microbiotaFrugivoryLemur |
| spellingShingle | Nina Beeby Lahitsara Jean Pierre Razafindraibe Faustin Jean Guy Rakotonjatovo Justin Tombotiana Aimé Victor Giulia Rossi Lotte van den Hout Jessica M. Rothman Katherine R. Amato Timothy H. Webster Andrea L. Baden Climate, diet, and nutrition drive gut microbiome variation in a fruit-specialist primate Scientific Reports Nutrient intakes Macronutrients Gut microbiota Frugivory Lemur |
| title | Climate, diet, and nutrition drive gut microbiome variation in a fruit-specialist primate |
| title_full | Climate, diet, and nutrition drive gut microbiome variation in a fruit-specialist primate |
| title_fullStr | Climate, diet, and nutrition drive gut microbiome variation in a fruit-specialist primate |
| title_full_unstemmed | Climate, diet, and nutrition drive gut microbiome variation in a fruit-specialist primate |
| title_short | Climate, diet, and nutrition drive gut microbiome variation in a fruit-specialist primate |
| title_sort | climate diet and nutrition drive gut microbiome variation in a fruit specialist primate |
| topic | Nutrient intakes Macronutrients Gut microbiota Frugivory Lemur |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-07399-3 |
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