Baboon friends swap gut germs

Monday, March 16, 2015 - 19:20 in Biology & Nature

Baboons take turns grooming each other to make friends and cement social bonds. A new study finds that baboon friendships influence the microscopic bacteria in their guts. The warm soft folds of the intestines are teeming with thousands of species of bacteria. Collectively known as the gut microbiome, these microbes help break down food, synthesize vitamins, regulate weight and resist infection.

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