The gut microbiome buffers dietary adaptation in Bronze Age domesticated dogs
Simone Rampelli,
Silvia Turroni,
Florencia Debandi,
Antton Alberdi,
Stephanie L. Schnorr,
Courtney A. Hofman,
Alberto Taddia,
Riccardo Helg,
Elena Biagi,
Patrizia Brigidi,
Federica D'Amico,
Maurizio Cattani,
Marco Candela
Affiliations
Simone Rampelli
Unit of Microbiome Science and Biotechnology, Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy; Corresponding author
Silvia Turroni
Unit of Microbiome Science and Biotechnology, Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
Florencia Debandi
Department of History and Cultures, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
Antton Alberdi
Center for Evolutionary Hologenomics, GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
Stephanie L. Schnorr
Konrad Lorenz Institute for Evolution and Cognition Research, Klosterneuburg, Austria; Department of Anthropology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Courtney A. Hofman
Laboratories of Molecular Anthropology and Microbiome Research, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA; Department of Anthropology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
Alberto Taddia
Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
Riccardo Helg
Department of History and Cultures, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
Elena Biagi
Unit of Microbiome Science and Biotechnology, Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
Patrizia Brigidi
Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
Federica D'Amico
Unit of Microbiome Science and Biotechnology, Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy; Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
Maurizio Cattani
Department of History and Cultures, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
Marco Candela
Unit of Microbiome Science and Biotechnology, Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy; Corresponding author
Summary: In an attempt to explore the role of the gut microbiome during recent canine evolutionary history, we sequenced the metagenome of 13 canine coprolites dated ca. 3,600–3,450 years ago from the Bronze Age archaeological site of Solarolo (Italy), which housed a complex farming community. The microbiome structure of Solarolo dogs revealed continuity with that of modern dogs, but it also shared some features with the wild wolf microbiome, as a kind of transitional state between them. The dietary niche, as also inferred from the microbiome composition, was omnivorous, with evidence of consumption of starchy agricultural foods. Of interest, the Solarolo dog microbiome was particularly enriched in sequences encoding alpha-amylases and complemented a low copy number of the host amylase gene. These findings suggest that Neolithic dogs could have responded to the transition to a starch-rich diet by expanding microbial functionalities devoted to starch catabolism, thus compensating for delayed host response.
