Coevolution of primate diet and and gut microbiota

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25291100
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Ecology/Environment
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: Hanya Goro 京都大学, 霊長類研究所, 准教授 (40444492)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 金森 朝子 京都大学, 霊長類研究所, 研究員 (20625074) ; 牛田 一成 京都府立大学, 生命環境科学研究科(系), 教授 (50183017) ; 松田 一希 京都大学, 霊長類研究所, 助教 (90533480)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): MURAYAMA Miho 京都大学, 野生動物研究センター, 教授 (60293552)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 霊長類 / 食性 / 腸内細菌 / 共進化 / 次世代シーケンス / 16S rRNA / 消化 / ニホンザル

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study aims to reveal the coevolution process of primates and their gut microbiota. We clarify the changes of gut microbiota in response to the changes in primate diet, both at ecological and evolutionary time scales, and how it affects the digestion of the host primates. In our study in Yakushima, we clarified that the gut microbe species composition changes annually, in response to the seasonal fluctuations of the diet. Bacteria species diversity was highest in the leaf-eating season. We conducted in vitro digestibility assay using fresh feces of Japanese macaques in Yakushima as inoculum and dry leaf powder as substrate. Feces from highland, where macaques eat more leaves than lowland, are shown to have higher ability of fermentation.

Free Research Field

動物生態学