A Comparison of the Gut Microbiome of Two Sympatric Macropods Along an Urbanisation Gradient in Tasmania

This study investigates the gut flora of the red-necked wallaby (Notamacropus rufogriseus rufogriseus) and the Tasmanian pademelon (Thylogale billardierii) in the small city of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. Faecal samples were collected from greenspaces across the Greater Hobart region. These greenspaces were chosen in areas with different human population densities. DNA was extracted from these samples, and targeted sequencing of the bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA gene was performed to understand the bacterial community. Our results showed that despite the many shared ecological traits between the two species, their gut microbiome displayed different responses to urban living. Alpha and beta diversity were significantly different across the urban gradient for Bennett's wallaby, but not for Tasmanian pademelon. Relative composition for both species was different across the urbanisation gradient. Some bacterial taxa associated with nutrient processing showed the clearest changes. The conclusion of this research is that living in cities can affect the gut microbiome of these two marsupial herbivores. More studies are needed to determine whether this has implications for the health of these species.