Geophagic behavior and factors influencing it among lemurs: a case study from the indris in the Maromizaha NPA

mong wild primaes, geophagy – he inenonal consumpon o soil - has been well-sudied in Neoropical primaes, Old World monkeys, and grea apes bu remains poorly sudied in Madagascar's lemurs. The main (nonexclusive) hypoheses or geophagy are he proecon (i.e. geophagy can alleviae sympoms o gasroinesnal disress and proec rom parasies and pahogens), supplemenaon (i.e. geophagy complemens essenal minerals ha are lacking in he die), and non-adapve hypoheses (i.e. geophagy provides no physiological benes, wih deligh, culure or radion being he primary explanaons or he behavior). To es hese hypoheses, we invesgaed he possible linkages among geophagy, eeding, soil characeriscs, and gu microbiome o he indri (Indri indri), a crically endangered lemur species ha does no live in capviy, in he Maromizaha NPA. The soil eaen by indris resuled in enriched secondary oxide-hydroxides and clays, wih a high concenraon o specic essenal micronuriens. Besides, we ound ha geophagic soil and indris' ecal samples shared abou 8.9% o he ungal OTUs. The mos represened bacerial phyla were Proeobaceria (40.1 ± 9.5%), Baceroidees (28.7 ± 2.8%), Synergisees (16.7 ± 4.5%), and Firmicues (11.1 ± 1.9%). Our ndings also revealed ha bacerial alpha and bea diversiy were infuenced by group membership and sex. Signican variabiliy in erms o richness and abundance is presen wihin Maromizaha, a heerogeneous ungi and plan composion environmen, as i emerged rom he vegeaonal survey. The sudy resuls parally explain he role o he soil in deoxicaon and as a nurien supply. In addion, we ound an inmae connecon beween gu mycobiome and soil, highlighng he poenal consequen impacs on he wider habia. The daa presened herein provide a baseline or oulining some possible drivers responsible or he gu microbiome diversiy in indris .