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Physiology And Genetics Shape The Microbiome Of A Seabird Species (Oceanodroma Leucorhoa) More Than Environmental And Social Factors, Douglas Steven Pearce
Physiology And Genetics Shape The Microbiome Of A Seabird Species (Oceanodroma Leucorhoa) More Than Environmental And Social Factors, Douglas Steven Pearce
Masters Theses
The microbiome provides multiple benefits to animal hosts that can profoundly impact health and behavior. Microbiomes are well-characterized in humans and animals in controlled settings, yet assessments of wild bird microbial communities remain vastly understudied. This study examines the multiple factors that affect the microbiome of a burrow-nesting Procellariiform bird species, Leach’s storm-petrel. 16S rRNA-based Illumina Mi-Seq analyses are used to assess the composition and structure of bird and burrow-associated bacterial communities. Results indicate that sex and skin site contribute to bird-associated bacterial community variation, and MHC heterozygosity impacts these bacterial assemblages in a sex and site-specific manner, potentially having …