Development of gut microbiota composition in captive Asian elephants: a year-long analysis
Rattachement africain : th. Niveau de preuve : code pays fourni par la source.
Le résumé fourni par la source
The establishment of gut microbiota is vital for the health and development of elephant calves, especially during their first year of life. This study investigates the transformation of the gut microbiome in captive Asian elephant calves, focusing the influence of maternal milk and subsequent dietary transitions on microbial colonization. A single meconium was collected at birth, followed by monthly fresh fecal samples during the first year. Mothers' fecal samples were also collected when calves reached three months of age. Gut microbiota profiling was conducted using 16 S rRNA gene sequencing. Meconium exhibited a diverse microbiota with moderate richness at birth. Richness subsequently declined in the monthly fecal samples, reaching its lowest point by three months of age. Firmicutes, Actinobacteriota, and Bacteroidota were the dominant bacterial phyla throughout the first year. A major shift was observed around 7 to 8 months of age with emergence of the archaeal genus Methanobrevibacter from phylum Euryarchaeota, which subsequently declined by 11 to 12 months. By this age, the calf microbial community had become more similar to that of adult elephants; however, species richness and diversity remained lower, indicating that microbial maturation was still ongoing. These findings advance our understanding of gut microbiota development in elephant calves and underscore the critical role of dietary management in promoting gut health and survival, providing essential data for captive conservation and management strategies.
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Le contrôle bibliographique ouvert
DOI retrouvé dans Crossref DOI retrouvé ; titre concordant.
- Titre Crossref
- Development of gut microbiota composition in captive Asian elephants: a year-long analysis
- Date Crossref
- 01/04/2026
- Éditeur
- Springer Science and Business Media LLC
- Type
- journal-article
Ce recoupement confirme des métadonnées liées au DOI. Il ne confirme ni la méthode ni les conclusions de l’étude, et il ne compte pas comme une seconde source scientifique indépendante.
Où se fait cette recherche
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Chiang Mai University and Companion Animals Research pays non établi dans la noticeUniversité ou école supérieure
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The Royal College Of Anesthesiologists Of Thailand pays non établi dans la noticeUniversité ou école supérieure
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Office of the Royal Society pays non établi dans la noticeOrganisme public
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Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Center of Elephant and Wildlife Health Animal Hospital pays non établi dans la noticeUniversité ou école supérieure
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Faculty of Medicine Cardiac Electrophysiology Research and Training Center pays non établi dans la noticeUniversité ou école supérieure
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The Academy of Science pays non établi dans la noticeInstitution
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Faculty of Dentistry Department of Oral Biology and Diagnostic Sciences pays non établi dans la noticeUniversité ou école supérieure
and Companion Animals Research — Chiang Mai University, The Royal College Of Anesthesiologists Of Thailand et Office of the Royal Society, avec 4 autres affiliations.
Une affiliation ne permet pas de déduire la nationalité d’un auteur.