Study shows maternal effects are key to gut microbial development in a wild monkeys

Research shows that maternal influence on the gut microbiome of the offspring of wild monkeys, extends well beyond the time the infant has stopped nursing. A team co-led by Stony Brook University and Arizona State University analyzed one of the largest datasets on the evolution of the gut microbiome in a wild mammal, explaining that mothers transmit certain bacteria to their offspring. The research team used high-throughput DNA sequencing to identify and characterize the bacteria. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3D44Che

Image description and credit: A baby gelada foraging in Simien Mountains National Park in Ethiopia. Their early-life gut microbiome, from infancy through first years of life, are shown to be influenced by bacteria likely passed down from mom.
Credit: Sharmi Sen