Sociable Chimps Have Richer Diversity of Gut Microbes

Plants and Animals





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Grooming session between two adult male chimpanzees at Gombe National Park, Tanzania. Steffen Foerster

Chimpanzees who join in on more social activities have a higher diversity of microbes in their gut, and this microscopic species diversity might help fight diseases. The findings, published in Science Advances this week, suggests that social behavior shapes the microbiome and preserves diversity across evolutionary timescales.