Metagenomic analysis of fecal microbiomes reveals genetic potential for diverse hydrogen management strategies in marsupials.
Bowerman KL, Lu Y, McRae H, Volmer JG, Zaugg J
Climate Adaptation
Reducing methane from livestock is one of the most actionable ways to cut agricultural greenhouse gas emissions, and understanding how kangaroos' gut bacteria naturally limit methane could inspire new approaches to greener farming and land management that affect the pastures and crops we all depend on.
When animals eat plants, bacteria in their guts break down the tough plant material and release hydrogen as a byproduct. Some bacteria then convert that hydrogen into methane — a powerful greenhouse gas — while others use it in ways that don't produce methane. This study found that marsupials like kangaroos and wallabies have a surprisingly diverse mix of gut bacteria, with some individuals leaning toward methane-producing microbes and others toward methane-suppressing ones. That means we can't assume all kangaroos are low-methane animals — it varies from animal to animal.
Key Findings
Analysis of 33 fecal samples from 14 marsupial species yielded 1,394 reconstructed microbial genomes, providing the first systematic map of methane-related genes across marsupial gut microbiomes.
Some marsupials showed enrichment of methanogenesis genes (mcrA and methanogen-specific hydrogenases), while others were enriched in bacterial hydrogen-uptake genes and alternative pathways such as nitrate/nitrite and sulfite reduction.
Hydrogen management strategies varied both between and within marsupial families and gut types, indicating that methane emission potential may differ at the level of the individual animal, not just the species.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists analyzed the gut bacteria of 14 marsupial species to understand why kangaroos and wallabies produce less methane than cattle when eating similar plant-based diets. They found that marsupials use a variety of microbial strategies to process hydrogen — a byproduct of plant digestion — and that methane output likely varies significantly between individual animals, not just between species.
Abstract Preview
Methane is an end product of plant biomass digestion by gut microbiota, though the amount produced and/or released varies between hosts. On a per-unit-of-feed basis, macropodid marsupials (e.g., ka...
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