Gut bacteria are known to have a central role both in human
and in animal health. Animals acquire
different bacteria as they age but how the microbial communities in the bodies
of wild animals change over time is not well understood. Wouter van Dongen and colleagues at the Vetmeduni
Vienna have examined the gastrointestinal bacteria of chick and adult
black-legged kittiwakes. Surprisingly, the microbial assemblages of chicks and
adults generally differ greatly, with only a few types of bacteria in common. The findings have recently been published in
the journal BMC Ecology.
Gastrointestinal bacteria are important for digestion,
immune functions and general health. Wouter van Dongen and colleagues from the
Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology of the Vetmeduni Vienna have collaborated
with scientists from the Laboratoire Évolution & Diversité Biologique
(EDB), Toulouse and from the US Geological Survey, Anchorage to study the
cloacal bacterial assemblies of black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla). The
bacteria in the cloaca are known to be similar to assemblages deeper within the
gastrointestinal tract, so the researchers examined samples from the cloaca of
birds at different ages to look indirectly at gut bacteria.