The world is urbanising rapidly, and it is predicted that by 2050, 66% of the global human
population will be living in urban areas. Urbanisation is characterised by land-use changes …

High throughput sequencing has emerged as one of the most important techniques for
characterizing microbial dynamics and revealing bacteria and host interactions. However …

Background Our understanding of the gut microbiota of animals is largely based on studies
of mammals. To better understand the evolutionary basis of symbiotic relationships between …

Avian hatching failure is a widespread phenomenon, affecting around 10% of all eggs that
are laid and not lost to predation, damage, or desertion. Our understanding of hatching …

Cleidoic eggs possess very efficient and orchestrated systems to protect the embryo from
external microbes until hatch. The cuticle is a proteinaceous layer on the shell surface in …

Background Beneficial microbes can be vertically transmitted from mother to offspring in
many organisms. In oviparous animals, bacterial transfer to eggs may improve egg success …

Bacteria have been suggested as being partially responsible for avian nest odours and,
thus, volatiles from their metabolism could influence the intensity of selection pressures due …

Background The relevance of the host microbiota to host ecology and evolution is well
acknowledged. However, the effect of the microbial environment on host immune function …

Here, we review the diversity, evolutionary history, and genomics of falcons in the context of
their conservation and interactions with humans, and provide a perspective on how new …

Feathers are the habitat of a myriad of organisms, from fungi and bacteria to lice and mites.
Although most studies focus on specific taxa and their interaction with the bird host …