The birth canal provides mammals with a primary maternal inoculum, which develops into distinctive body site-specific microbial communities post-natally. We characterized the distal gut microbiota from birth to weaning in mice. One-day-old mice had colonic microbiota that resembled maternal vaginal communities, but at days 3 and 9 of age there was a substantial loss of intestinal bacterial diversity and dominance of Lactobacillus. By weaning (21 days), diverse intestinal bacteria had established, including strict anaerobes. Our results are consistent with vertical transmission of maternal microbiota and demonstrate a nonlinear ecological succession involving an early drop in bacterial diversity and shift in dominance from Streptococcus to Lactobacillus, followed by an increase in diversity of anaerobes, after the introduction of solid food. Mammalian newborns are born highly susceptible to colonization, and lactation may control microbiome assembly during early development.

The hoatzin is a folivorous bird with microbial fermentation in the crop that consumes plants that contain saponins. We investigated detoxifi cation activity of saponins by bacteria from the hoatzin crop, and how this activity was affected in the presence of methanogens. Strains and mixed cultures were grown in presence of 200 μg·ml -1 Quillaja saponins. Detoxifi cation was determined as loss of haemolytic activity. The methanogenesis was inhibited added bromoethanesulphonic acid (BES). Mixed cultures showed higher rate of saponin detoxifi cation than strains and it was reduced by BES. The hoatzin bacteria detoxify saponins, and methanogenic Archaea might act as a hydrogen sink.

Dormancy is common in many terrestrial orchids in southern Australia and other temperate environments. The difficulty for conservation and management when considering dormancy is ascertaining whether non-emergent plants are dormant or dead. Here we use a multi-state capture–recapture method, undertaken over several seasons, to determine the likelihood of a plant becoming dormant or dying following its annual emergent period and evaluate the frequency of the length of dormancy. We assess the transition probabilities from time series of varying lengths for the following nine terrestrial orchids in the genus Caladenia: C. amoena, C. argocalla, C. clavigera, C. elegans, C. graniticola, C. macroclavia, C. oenochila, C. rosella and C. valida from Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia. We used a Bayesian approach for estimating survivorship, dormancy and the likelihood of death from capture–recapture data. Considering all species together, the probability of surviving from one year to the next was ~86%, whereas the likelihood of observing an individual above ground in two consecutive years was ~74%. All species showed dormancy of predominantly 1 year, whereas dormancy of three or more years was extremely rare (<2%). The results have practical implications for conservation, in that (1) population sizes of Caladenia species are more easily estimated by being able to distinguish the likelihood of an unseen individual being dormant or dead, (2) population dynamics of individuals can be evaluated by using a 1–3-year dormancy period and (3) survey effort is not wasted on monitoring individuals that have not emerged for many years.

A disproportionate number of threatened plant species in Australia are found in the genus Caladenia, although little has been published on their life history. Here we examine data from nine species to evaluate some of the basic life-history strategies in Caladenia, specifically the transitions between life-history stages. We constructed life-history transition models of the orchids by using a Bayesian approach, we evaluated the growth rate of populations, compared transition values among species and determined which stage influenced the population growth most. We assessed extinction likelihood and considered the effect of variation in transitions among states on the probability of extinction. Bayesian model selection showed differences between species regarding their life cycle. The probability of individuals flowering in two consecutive years is extremely rare and was found to be common in only one species, C. amoena. All other species had a high likelihood of returning to a vegetative state, and some were likely to enter dormancy after flowering. High elasticities in the transition from the dormant to dormant stage suggest that dormancy has a large impact on population persistence. The quasi-extinction rate suggests that C. rosella, C. clavigera, C. graniticola and C. macroclavia are most at risk when all species have an equal initial population size. Conservation management should focus on studies to identify cues that influence flowering in consecutive years, emergence from dormancy and increasing recruitment.

The mechanisms involved in D-glucose and amino acid transport in the intestine of birds are still not clear. In chickens, D-glucose and amino acid absorption occurs via carrier-mediated transport, but in wild birds a passive paracellular mechanism seems to be the predominant pathway. The purpose of this work was to determine the existence of carrier-mediated sodium cotransport of D-glucose and L-alanine in the small intestine of Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix), a granivorous bird. Intestinal transport was determined by changes in the short-circuit current (Isc), proportional to ion transmembrane flux, in the middle segment of the intestine of Japanese quail with a Ussing chamber. D-Glucose produced an increase of the Isc, and this effect was reverted by phloridzin, indicating the presence of a D-glucose transport mediated by the sodium/glucose cotranspoter 1. Addition of L-alanine also produced an increase of the Isc. We concluded that there is carrier-mediated cotransport of D-glucose and L-alanine with sodium in the small intestine of the Japanese quail.