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Sexual dimorphism and host genetics shape the gut microbiome of northern elephant seal pups (Mirounga angustirostris)
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  • Emily Yu,
  • Alexandra DeCandia,
  • Andrea Graham,
  • Emily Whitmer,
  • Cara Field,
  • Bridgett vonHoldt,
  • Stephen Gaughran
Emily Yu
Princeton University

Corresponding Author:thisisemilyyu@gmail.com

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Alexandra DeCandia
Georgetown University
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Andrea Graham
Princeton University
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Emily Whitmer
The Marine Mammal Center
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Cara Field
The Marine Mammal Center
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Bridgett vonHoldt
Princeton University
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Stephen Gaughran
Princeton University
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Abstract

Due to a population bottleneck, northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris ) have very low genetic diversity, making them ideal model organisms for assessing the impact of genetic and non-genetic factors on the gut microbiome. In our study, we were especially interested in the role of sex given the northern elephant seal’s extreme sexual dimorphism. We investigated 54 northern elephant seal pups that were rescued from along the California coastline and brought to The Marine Mammal Center, a rehabilitation facility. Using a metabarcoding approach, we characterized microbial communities shortly after admission to the facility and found that both sex and geographic origin explained microbial variation. We detected significant differences in microbial class and order composition between sexes. We further analyzed paired samples from 24 seals at two time points, shortly after admission to the rehabilitation facility and a month post-acclimation in the facility. Between these two time points, microbial diversity increased, likely due to changes in diet. While there was an overall convergence of microbiome composition in a shared environment over time, remaining differences in microbial composition were explained by sex and host genetics.
30 Aug 2023Submitted to Molecular Ecology
01 Sep 2023Submission Checks Completed
01 Sep 2023Assigned to Editor
01 Sep 2023Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
15 Sep 2023Reviewer(s) Assigned