We present here the hologenome theory of evolution, which considers the holobiont (the
animal or plant with all of its associated microorganisms) as a unit of selection in evolution …

The perpetuation of symbioses through host generations relies on symbiont transmission.
Horizontally transmitted symbionts are taken up from the environment anew by each host …

Most symbiotic associations between animals and microorganisms are horizontally
transmitted—the microorganisms are acquired from the environment by each generation of …

While most animal–bacterial symbioses are reestablished each successive generation, the
mechanisms by which the host and its potential microbial partners ensure tissue …

A central question in behavioral ecology has been why animals live in groups. Previous
theories about the evolution of sociality focused on the potential benefits of decreased risk of …

Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and rRNA slot blot hybridization with 16S rRNA-
targeted oligonucleotide probes were used to investigate the phylogenetic composition of a …

Bacteria and marine eukaryotes often coexist in symbioses that significantly influence the
ecology, physiology and evolution of both partners. De Bary (1879) defined symbiosis as …

One of the best-documented aspects of the biology of luminous bacteria has been their
abundance and distribution in the marine environment (reviewed in reference 51). This has …

Vesicomyid clams depend entirely on sulfur-oxidizing endosymbiotic bacteria for their
nutriment. Endosymbionts that are transmitted cytoplasmically through eggs, such as these …

In the ocean, most hosts acquire their symbionts from the environment. Due to the immense
spatial scales involved, our understanding of the biogeography of hosts and symbionts in …