期刊
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
卷 11, 期 4, 页码 1814-1828出版社
WILEY
DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7171
关键词
biomarkers; decay; forensics; genomics; Hawaii; microbiome; noninvasive; predation; scavenging
资金
- University of Maryland-Smithsonian Seed Grant
- Robert and Arlene Kogod support of the Secretarial Scholar Program
- National Science Foundation [DEB-1020007, DEB-1020412, DEB-1019928]
- USDA Forest Service Inst. of Pacific Islands Forestry
Genomic tools and molecular analysis were used to study the interactions between invasive rats and native/introduced birds in Hawaii. By combining microbial forensics and molecular dietary analysis, the study identified bird species consumed by rats through bacterial biomarkers in their gut microbiome. The research showed that bacterial markers of bird carcass decay can persist through rat digestion, serving as indicators of scavenging behavior.
Rapid advances in genomic tools for use in ecological contexts and non-model systems allow unprecedented insight into interactions that occur beyond direct observation. We developed an approach that couples microbial forensics with molecular dietary analysis to identify species interactions and scavenging by invasive rats on native and introduced birds in Hawaii. First, we characterized bacterial signatures of bird carcass decay by conducting 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing on chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) tissues collected over an 11-day decomposition study in natural Hawaiian habitats. Second, we determined if field-collected invasive black rats (Rattus rattus; n = 51, stomach and fecal samples) had consumed birds using molecular diet analysis with two independent PCR assays (mitochondrial Cytochrome Oxidase I and Cytochrome b genes) and Sanger sequencing. Third, we characterized the gut microbiome of the same rats using 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing and identified 15 bacterial taxa that were (a) detected only in rats that consumed birds (n = 20/51) and (b) were indicative of decaying tissue in the chicken decomposition experiment. We found that 18% of rats (n = 9/51) likely consumed birds as carrion by the presence of bacterial biomarkers of decayed tissue in their gut microbiome. One species of native bird (Myadestes obscurus) and three introduced bird species (Lophura leucomelanos, Meleagris gallopavo, Zosterops japonicus) were detected in the rats' diets, with individuals from these species (except L. nycthemera) likely consumed through scavenging. Bacterial biomarkers of bird carcass decay can persist through rat digestion and may serve as biomarkers of scavenging. Our approach can be used to reveal trophic interactions that are challenging to measure through direct observation.
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