All living things are host to multiple microbiomes, which are the symbiotic and pathogenic microorganisms that naturally live in, on, and around nearly every available surface of the planet, including animals like us! Microbiota can have wide-ranging effects on their hosts, including health, immune system, and the stress response, which in turn can alter the microbiome. There have even been links detected between the gut microbiome and an animal’s behavior and cognition, through what’s called the microbiota-gut-brain-axis.
This presentation will take you through the journey of Morgan’s dissertation where he will clarify this complicated web of relationships between an animal and its tiny universe of bacteria. We will cover the beautiful coloration of cardinals, their hormonal response to stress, and much more. Specifically, Morgan will discuss his research with a local population of the Northern Cardinal where he sought baseline correlations between wild free-living members of this species’ microbiome and various measures related to fitness, and then performed a field experiment manipulating stress levels and testing for the effect on the microbiome.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER: Morgan Slevin is a PhD candidate at Florida Atlantic University in the Anderson Behavioral Ecology and Bioacoustics Lab where he studies the relationships between avian health, fitness, cognition, behavior, and bacterial microbiomes. Morgan was born and raised in Sarasota, FL, got his Bachelor’s of Science at Rhodes College in Memphis, his Master’s of Science at Arkansas State University, and a second Master’s of Science at Florida Atlantic University.
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