HONEYCREEPER HOSTS: TESTING THE EFFECTS OF DIET, ENVIRONMENT, AND GENETIC RELATEDNESS ON THE GUT MICROBIOME USING A CLASSIC EXAMPLE OF ADAPTIVE RADIATION | |||||
Maria S Costantini; University of Hawaii at M?noa; mariacos@hawaii.edu; Matthew C.I. Medeiros, Elin Videvall, Michael G. Campana, Robert C. Fleischer, Floyd A. Reed | |||||
A component of endangered species management that has historically been overlooked is the relationship between a host and its gut microbiome. In animals, the microbiome has a strong influence on the health, fitness, and behavior of their hosts. The composition of the microbiome community can be influenced by an individual’s diet, environment, and evolutionary history. This project aimed to explore the drivers of microbiome variation across the remaining species of the Hawaiian honeycreeper lineage. We used amplicon-based sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene to characterize the gut microbiome of Hawaiian honeycreepers across the remaining lineage in relation to diet, geography, and genetic relatedness. Fecal samples, a proxy for the gut, were collected from 14 of the remaining 17 honeycreeper species and sequenced using the Illumina MiSeq platform. Preliminary results indicate that sampling island appears to be the major driver of microbiome variation, while diet also plays some role. The dendrogram of host-associated microbiomes did not recapitulate the host phylogenetic tree; indicating that phylogeny does not strongly influence microbiome variation. These results provide a baseline for microbiome work in Hawaiian honeycreepers, which will prove essential for conservation planning as species are targetted for captive breeding and translocation. | |||||
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