K R Amato
Biographic Data
| ID | 66959 |
|---|---|
| NAME | K R Amato |
| GIVEN NAMES | K R |
| FAMILY NAME | Amato |
| SIGNATURE | AMATO K R |
| AFFILIATIONS | Department of Anthropology Northwestern University Evanston Illinois USA |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-2722-9414 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 25 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 38 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 25 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2011 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 4 |
Comparative Analysis of Fecal Microbiome Composition in Zoo‐Housed Colobines: The Influence of Dietary Macronutrients, Browse Provisioning, and Phylogeny
This study investigated the interplay between dietary macronutrient composition, browse provisioning frequency, and host phylogeny in shaping the gut microbiome of zoo‐housed colobine monkeys. We focused on four species ( Colobus guereza, Colobus angolensis, Trachypithecus cristatus , and Trachypithecus francoisi ) housed across 20 AZA‐accredited institutions and integrated detailed dietary records with fecal microbiome profiling. Diets were cate…
Interactions with alloparents are associated with the diversity of infant skin and fecal bacterial communities in Chicago, United States
Introduction: Social interactions shape the infant microbiome by providing opportunities for caregivers to spread bacteria through physical contact. With most research focused on the impact of maternal–infant contact on the infant gut microbiome, it is unclear how alloparents (i.e., caregivers other than the parents) influence the bacterial communities of infant body sites that are frequently contacted during bouts of caregiving, including the sk…
Exploring the Utility of the Gut Microbiome as a Longitudinal Health Monitoring Tool in Sanctuary Chimpanzees ( Pan troglodytes )
The primary goal of captive primate management is to ensure optimal health and welfare of the animals in our care. Given that the gut microbiome interacts closely with host metabolism, immunity, and even cognition, it represents a potentially powerful tool for identifying subtle changes in health status across a range of body systems simultaneously. However, thus far, it has not been widely tested or implemented as a monitoring tool. In this stud…
Supplementation With Human Foods Affects the Gut Microbiota of Wild Howler Monkeys
Wild primates face a wide range of anthropogenic influences globally that impact their health, fitness, and survival. One area of potential impact that has been particularly understudied is the supplementation of wild primate diets with human foods. Although the consumption of human foods represents a substantial dietary change for wild primates, knowledge of how it impacts their physiology and behavior is limited. Here we explore how human food …
Validation of Body Condition Scoring as a Screening Test for Low Body Condition and Obesity in Common Marmosets ( Callithrix jacchus )
Assessing body weight is common practice for monitoring health in common marmosets ( Callithrix jacchus ). Body composition analysis via quantitative magnetic resonance (QMR) is a more in‐depth assessment allowing measurements of lean and fat mass, but it is expensive and remains unavailable to most. Alternatively, body condition scoring (BCS) is an instrument‐free method for visually inspecting and palpating lean and fat tissue. Animals are rate…
Ecological and genetic variables co‐vary with social group identity to shape the gut microbiome of a pair‐living primate
Primates exhibit diverse social systems that are intricately linked to their biology, behavior, and evolution, all of which influence the acquisition and maintenance of their gut microbiomes (GMs). However, most studies of wild primate populations focus on taxa with relatively large group sizes, and few consider pair‐living species. To address this gap, we investigate how a primate's social system interacts with key environmental, social, and gen…
Afterword - Crafting Data, Crafting Worlds Across Disciplines
This special issue draws from the AAA panel 'Entangling data while entangling disciplines: discussing the future of anthropological collaborations with data scientists'. It deals with experiences of anthropologists who have collaborated with data scientists. To render the panel truly interdisciplinary, the organizers of the AAA panel invited a data scientist as discussant, Katie Amato. Below her comments have been elaborated in the form of a dial…
Gut Microbial Intersections with Human Ecology and Evolution
Although microbiome science is relatively young, our knowledge of human-microbiome interactions is growing rapidly and has already begun to transform our understanding of human ecology and evolution. Here we summarize our current understanding of three-way interactions between the gut microbiota, human ecology, and human evolution. We review the factors driving microbiome variation within and between individuals and populations, as well as compar…
Comparing different sample collection and storage methods for field‐based skin microbiome research
OBJECTIVES: The skin, as well as its microbial communities, serves as the primary interface between the human body and the surrounding environment. In order to implement the skin microbiome into human biology research, there is a need to explore the effects of different sample collection and storage methodologies, including the feasibility of conducting skin microbiome studies in field settings. METHODS: We collected 99 skin microbiome samples fr…
The relationship between pinworm ( Trypanoxyuris ) infection and gut bacteria in wild black howler monkeys ( Alouatta pigra )
Gut bacteria may coexist with other groups of organisms, such as nematode parasites, that inhabit the gastrointestinal tract of primates; however, the possible effects of endoparasites on bacterial communities are frequently overlooked. Here we explored whether infection with Trypanoxyuris , an oxyurid gastrointestinal parasite, is associated with changes in the gut bacterial community of wild black howler monkeys ( Alouatta pigra ), by comparing…
Fermented food consumption in wild nonhuman primates and its ecological drivers
OBJECTIVES: Although fermented food use is ubiquitous in humans, the ecological and evolutionary factors contributing to its emergence are unclear. Here we investigated the ecological contexts surrounding the consumption of fruits in the late stages of fermentation by wild primates to provide insight into its adaptive function. We hypothesized that climate, socioecological traits, and habitat patch size would influence the occurrence of this beha…
Predigestion as an Evolutionary Impetus for Human Use of Fermented Food
Fermented foods are an important part of the human diet. While the types of fermented foods consumed as well as the processes used to create them vary regionally, the majority of human populations globally deliberately produce and consume fermented foods as a central part of their diets. This pattern is in contrast to that of other vertebrates, including nonhuman primates. However, it remains unclear when and why humans began to include high amou…
Gut microbiota in wild and captive Guizhou snub‐nosed monkeys, Rhinopithecus brelichi
Many colobine species—including the endangered Guizhou snub‐nosed monkey ( Rhinopithecus brelichi ) are difficult to maintain in captivity and frequently exhibit gastrointestinal (GI) problems. GI problems are commonly linked to alterations in the gut microbiota, which lead us to examine the gut microbial communities of wild and captive R. brelichi . We used high‐throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene to compare the gut microbiota of wild ( N…
Moving forward with the primate microbiome: Introduction to a special issue of the American Journal of Primatology
Primate microbiome research is a quickly growing field with exciting potential for informing our understanding of primate biology, ecology, and evolution as well as host‐microbe interactions more broadly. This introductory essay to a special section of the American Journal of Primatology provides a cross‐sectional snapshot of current activity in these areas by briefly summarizing the diversity of contributed papers and their relationships to key …
The effect of captivity on the primate gut microbiome varies with host dietary niche
Despite careful attention to animal nutrition and wellbeing, gastrointestinal distress remains relatively common in captive non‐human primates (NHPs), particularly dietary specialists such as folivores. These patterns may be a result of marked dietary differences between captive and wild settings and associated impacts on the gut microbiome. However, given that most existing studies target NHP dietary specialists, it is unclear if captive environ…
The microbial reproductive ecology of white‐faced capuchins ( Cebus capucinus )
Changes in reproductive status influence energy and nutrient requirements in female primates. The gut microbiota may buffer changes in energy demands, with shifts in community composition increasing the energy production potential of the gut during pregnancy and lactation. In this study, we examine changes in the gut microbiome of wild, female white-faced capuchins (Cebus capucinus) across different reproductive states. Fecal samples (n = 39) wer…
Influence of fruit and invertebrate consumption on the gut microbiota of wild white‐faced capuchins ( Cebus capucinus )
OBJECTIVES: Invertebrate consumption is thought to be an integral part of early hominin diets, and many modern human populations regularly consume insects and other arthropods. This study examines the response of gut microbial community structure and function to changes in diet in wild white-faced capuchins (Cebus capucinus), a primate that incorporates a large proportion of invertebrates in its diet. The goal of the study is to better understand…
Impending extinction crisis of the world’s primates: Why primates matter
Impending extinction of the world’s primates due to human activities; immediate global attention is needed to reverse the trend.
An introduction to microbiome analysis for human biology applications
Research examining the gut microbiota is currently exploding, and results are providing new perspectives on human biology. Factors such as host diet and physiology influence the composition and function of the gut microbiota, which in turn affects human nutrition, health, and behavior via interactions with metabolism, the immune system, and the brain. These findings represent an exciting new twist on familiar topics, and as a result, gut microbio…
Metabolomic data suggest regulation of black howler monkey ( Alouatta pigra ) diet composition at the molecular level
In addition to macronutrients, foods consist of a complex set of chemical compounds that can influence dietary selectivity and consumer physiology. Metabolomics allow us to describe this complexity by quantifying all small molecules, or metabolites, in a food item. In this study we use GC-MS based metabolomics to describe the metabolite profiles of foods consumed by one population of Mexican black howler monkeys (Alouatta pigra) over a 10-month p…
Host age, social group, and habitat type influence the gut microbiota of wild ring‐tailed lemurs ( Lemur catta )
The gut microbiota contributes to host health by maintaining homeostasis, increasing digestive efficiency, and facilitating the development of the immune system. The composition of the gut microbiota can change dramatically within and between individuals of a species as a result of diet, age, or habitat. Therefore, understanding the factors determining gut microbiota diversity and composition can contribute to our knowledge of host ecology as wel…
Incorporating the gut microbiota into models of human and non‐human primate ecology and evolution
The mammalian gut is home to a diverse community of microbes. Advances in technology over the past two decades have allowed us to examine this community, the gut microbiota, in more detail, revealing a wide range of influences on host nutrition, health, and behavior. These host‐gut microbe interactions appear to shape host plasticity and fitness in a variety of contexts, and therefore represent a key factor missing from existing models of human a…
Nutrition and foraging strategies of the black howler monkey ( Alouatta pigra ) in Palenque National Park, Mexico
Food resources consumed by primates vary markedly in nutritional content. As a result, foragers must develop a feeding strategy to select resources that balance energy and macronutrient intake and reduce the consumption of fiber and toxins. In this study, we collected data on dietary patterns, rates of food consumption, and weight of food items consumed and combined them with published values of the nutritional content of Neotropical foods to est…
The role of gut microbes in satisfying the nutritional demands of adult and juvenile wild, black howler monkeys ( A louatta pigra )
In all mammals, growth, development, pregnancy, and lactation increase nutritional demands. Although primate field studies tend to focus on shifts in activity and diet as mechanisms to compensate for these demands, differences in digestive efficiency also are likely to be important. Because the gut microbiota can impact host digestive efficiency, we examined differences in activity budget, diet, and the gut microbial community among adult male ( …
Analysis of the hydrogenotrophic microbiota of wild and captive black howler monkeys ( Alouatta pigra ) in palenque national park, Mexico
Intestinal methanogenesis is one of the major pathways for consumption of hydrogen produced by bacterial fermentation and is considered to affect the efficiency of host energy harvest; however, little information is available regarding the hydrogenotrophic pathways of nonhuman primates in the wild, in general, and of howler monkeys, in particular. Microbial fermentation of plant structural carbohydrates is an important feature in wild howlers owi…
Predigestion as an Evolutionary Impetus for Human Use of Fermented Food
Fermented foods are an important part of the human diet. While the types of fermented foods consumed as well as the processes used to create them vary regionally, the majority of human populations globally deliberately produce and consume fermented foods as a central part of their diets. This pattern is in contrast to that of other vertebrates, including nonhuman primates. However, it remains unclear when and why humans began to include high amou…
The role of gut microbes in satisfying the nutritional demands of adult and juvenile wild, black howler monkeys ( A louatta pigra )
In all mammals, growth, development, pregnancy, and lactation increase nutritional demands. Although primate field studies tend to focus on shifts in activity and diet as mechanisms to compensate for these demands, differences in digestive efficiency also are likely to be important. Because the gut microbiota can impact host digestive efficiency, we examined differences in activity budget, diet, and the gut microbial community among adult male ( …
Incorporating the gut microbiota into models of human and non‐human primate ecology and evolution
The mammalian gut is home to a diverse community of microbes. Advances in technology over the past two decades have allowed us to examine this community, the gut microbiota, in more detail, revealing a wide range of influences on host nutrition, health, and behavior. These host‐gut microbe interactions appear to shape host plasticity and fitness in a variety of contexts, and therefore represent a key factor missing from existing models of human a…
Fermented food consumption in wild nonhuman primates and its ecological drivers
OBJECTIVES: Although fermented food use is ubiquitous in humans, the ecological and evolutionary factors contributing to its emergence are unclear. Here we investigated the ecological contexts surrounding the consumption of fruits in the late stages of fermentation by wild primates to provide insight into its adaptive function. We hypothesized that climate, socioecological traits, and habitat patch size would influence the occurrence of this beha…
Influence of fruit and invertebrate consumption on the gut microbiota of wild white‐faced capuchins ( Cebus capucinus )
OBJECTIVES: Invertebrate consumption is thought to be an integral part of early hominin diets, and many modern human populations regularly consume insects and other arthropods. This study examines the response of gut microbial community structure and function to changes in diet in wild white-faced capuchins (Cebus capucinus), a primate that incorporates a large proportion of invertebrates in its diet. The goal of the study is to better understand…
Gut Microbial Intersections with Human Ecology and Evolution
Although microbiome science is relatively young, our knowledge of human-microbiome interactions is growing rapidly and has already begun to transform our understanding of human ecology and evolution. Here we summarize our current understanding of three-way interactions between the gut microbiota, human ecology, and human evolution. We review the factors driving microbiome variation within and between individuals and populations, as well as compar…
Analysis of the hydrogenotrophic microbiota of wild and captive black howler monkeys ( Alouatta pigra ) in palenque national park, Mexico
Intestinal methanogenesis is one of the major pathways for consumption of hydrogen produced by bacterial fermentation and is considered to affect the efficiency of host energy harvest; however, little information is available regarding the hydrogenotrophic pathways of nonhuman primates in the wild, in general, and of howler monkeys, in particular. Microbial fermentation of plant structural carbohydrates is an important feature in wild howlers owi…
Nutrition and foraging strategies of the black howler monkey ( Alouatta pigra ) in Palenque National Park, Mexico
Food resources consumed by primates vary markedly in nutritional content. As a result, foragers must develop a feeding strategy to select resources that balance energy and macronutrient intake and reduce the consumption of fiber and toxins. In this study, we collected data on dietary patterns, rates of food consumption, and weight of food items consumed and combined them with published values of the nutritional content of Neotropical foods to est…
The role of gut microbes in satisfying the nutritional demands of adult and juvenile wild, black howler monkeys ( A louatta pigra )
In all mammals, growth, development, pregnancy, and lactation increase nutritional demands. Although primate field studies tend to focus on shifts in activity and diet as mechanisms to compensate for these demands, differences in digestive efficiency also are likely to be important. Because the gut microbiota can impact host digestive efficiency, we examined differences in activity budget, diet, and the gut microbial community among adult male ( …
Host age, social group, and habitat type influence the gut microbiota of wild ring‐tailed lemurs ( Lemur catta )
The gut microbiota contributes to host health by maintaining homeostasis, increasing digestive efficiency, and facilitating the development of the immune system. The composition of the gut microbiota can change dramatically within and between individuals of a species as a result of diet, age, or habitat. Therefore, understanding the factors determining gut microbiota diversity and composition can contribute to our knowledge of host ecology as wel…
Incorporating the gut microbiota into models of human and non‐human primate ecology and evolution
The mammalian gut is home to a diverse community of microbes. Advances in technology over the past two decades have allowed us to examine this community, the gut microbiota, in more detail, revealing a wide range of influences on host nutrition, health, and behavior. These host‐gut microbe interactions appear to shape host plasticity and fitness in a variety of contexts, and therefore represent a key factor missing from existing models of human a…
Impending extinction crisis of the world’s primates: Why primates matter
Impending extinction of the world’s primates due to human activities; immediate global attention is needed to reverse the trend.
An introduction to microbiome analysis for human biology applications
Research examining the gut microbiota is currently exploding, and results are providing new perspectives on human biology. Factors such as host diet and physiology influence the composition and function of the gut microbiota, which in turn affects human nutrition, health, and behavior via interactions with metabolism, the immune system, and the brain. These findings represent an exciting new twist on familiar topics, and as a result, gut microbio…
Metabolomic data suggest regulation of black howler monkey ( Alouatta pigra ) diet composition at the molecular level
In addition to macronutrients, foods consist of a complex set of chemical compounds that can influence dietary selectivity and consumer physiology. Metabolomics allow us to describe this complexity by quantifying all small molecules, or metabolites, in a food item. In this study we use GC-MS based metabolomics to describe the metabolite profiles of foods consumed by one population of Mexican black howler monkeys (Alouatta pigra) over a 10-month p…
The microbial reproductive ecology of white‐faced capuchins ( Cebus capucinus )
Changes in reproductive status influence energy and nutrient requirements in female primates. The gut microbiota may buffer changes in energy demands, with shifts in community composition increasing the energy production potential of the gut during pregnancy and lactation. In this study, we examine changes in the gut microbiome of wild, female white-faced capuchins (Cebus capucinus) across different reproductive states. Fecal samples (n = 39) wer…
Influence of fruit and invertebrate consumption on the gut microbiota of wild white‐faced capuchins ( Cebus capucinus )
OBJECTIVES: Invertebrate consumption is thought to be an integral part of early hominin diets, and many modern human populations regularly consume insects and other arthropods. This study examines the response of gut microbial community structure and function to changes in diet in wild white-faced capuchins (Cebus capucinus), a primate that incorporates a large proportion of invertebrates in its diet. The goal of the study is to better understand…
Gut microbiota in wild and captive Guizhou snub‐nosed monkeys, Rhinopithecus brelichi
Many colobine species—including the endangered Guizhou snub‐nosed monkey ( Rhinopithecus brelichi ) are difficult to maintain in captivity and frequently exhibit gastrointestinal (GI) problems. GI problems are commonly linked to alterations in the gut microbiota, which lead us to examine the gut microbial communities of wild and captive R. brelichi . We used high‐throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene to compare the gut microbiota of wild ( N…
Moving forward with the primate microbiome: Introduction to a special issue of the American Journal of Primatology
Primate microbiome research is a quickly growing field with exciting potential for informing our understanding of primate biology, ecology, and evolution as well as host‐microbe interactions more broadly. This introductory essay to a special section of the American Journal of Primatology provides a cross‐sectional snapshot of current activity in these areas by briefly summarizing the diversity of contributed papers and their relationships to key …
The effect of captivity on the primate gut microbiome varies with host dietary niche
Despite careful attention to animal nutrition and wellbeing, gastrointestinal distress remains relatively common in captive non‐human primates (NHPs), particularly dietary specialists such as folivores. These patterns may be a result of marked dietary differences between captive and wild settings and associated impacts on the gut microbiome. However, given that most existing studies target NHP dietary specialists, it is unclear if captive environ…
The relationship between pinworm ( Trypanoxyuris ) infection and gut bacteria in wild black howler monkeys ( Alouatta pigra )
Gut bacteria may coexist with other groups of organisms, such as nematode parasites, that inhabit the gastrointestinal tract of primates; however, the possible effects of endoparasites on bacterial communities are frequently overlooked. Here we explored whether infection with Trypanoxyuris , an oxyurid gastrointestinal parasite, is associated with changes in the gut bacterial community of wild black howler monkeys ( Alouatta pigra ), by comparing…
Fermented food consumption in wild nonhuman primates and its ecological drivers
OBJECTIVES: Although fermented food use is ubiquitous in humans, the ecological and evolutionary factors contributing to its emergence are unclear. Here we investigated the ecological contexts surrounding the consumption of fruits in the late stages of fermentation by wild primates to provide insight into its adaptive function. We hypothesized that climate, socioecological traits, and habitat patch size would influence the occurrence of this beha…
Predigestion as an Evolutionary Impetus for Human Use of Fermented Food
Fermented foods are an important part of the human diet. While the types of fermented foods consumed as well as the processes used to create them vary regionally, the majority of human populations globally deliberately produce and consume fermented foods as a central part of their diets. This pattern is in contrast to that of other vertebrates, including nonhuman primates. However, it remains unclear when and why humans began to include high amou…
Comparing different sample collection and storage methods for field‐based skin microbiome research
OBJECTIVES: The skin, as well as its microbial communities, serves as the primary interface between the human body and the surrounding environment. In order to implement the skin microbiome into human biology research, there is a need to explore the effects of different sample collection and storage methodologies, including the feasibility of conducting skin microbiome studies in field settings. METHODS: We collected 99 skin microbiome samples fr…
Afterword - Crafting Data, Crafting Worlds Across Disciplines
This special issue draws from the AAA panel 'Entangling data while entangling disciplines: discussing the future of anthropological collaborations with data scientists'. It deals with experiences of anthropologists who have collaborated with data scientists. To render the panel truly interdisciplinary, the organizers of the AAA panel invited a data scientist as discussant, Katie Amato. Below her comments have been elaborated in the form of a dial…
Gut Microbial Intersections with Human Ecology and Evolution
Although microbiome science is relatively young, our knowledge of human-microbiome interactions is growing rapidly and has already begun to transform our understanding of human ecology and evolution. Here we summarize our current understanding of three-way interactions between the gut microbiota, human ecology, and human evolution. We review the factors driving microbiome variation within and between individuals and populations, as well as compar…
Ecological and genetic variables co‐vary with social group identity to shape the gut microbiome of a pair‐living primate
Primates exhibit diverse social systems that are intricately linked to their biology, behavior, and evolution, all of which influence the acquisition and maintenance of their gut microbiomes (GMs). However, most studies of wild primate populations focus on taxa with relatively large group sizes, and few consider pair‐living species. To address this gap, we investigate how a primate's social system interacts with key environmental, social, and gen…
Interactions with alloparents are associated with the diversity of infant skin and fecal bacterial communities in Chicago, United States
Introduction: Social interactions shape the infant microbiome by providing opportunities for caregivers to spread bacteria through physical contact. With most research focused on the impact of maternal–infant contact on the infant gut microbiome, it is unclear how alloparents (i.e., caregivers other than the parents) influence the bacterial communities of infant body sites that are frequently contacted during bouts of caregiving, including the sk…
Exploring the Utility of the Gut Microbiome as a Longitudinal Health Monitoring Tool in Sanctuary Chimpanzees ( Pan troglodytes )
The primary goal of captive primate management is to ensure optimal health and welfare of the animals in our care. Given that the gut microbiome interacts closely with host metabolism, immunity, and even cognition, it represents a potentially powerful tool for identifying subtle changes in health status across a range of body systems simultaneously. However, thus far, it has not been widely tested or implemented as a monitoring tool. In this stud…
Supplementation With Human Foods Affects the Gut Microbiota of Wild Howler Monkeys
Wild primates face a wide range of anthropogenic influences globally that impact their health, fitness, and survival. One area of potential impact that has been particularly understudied is the supplementation of wild primate diets with human foods. Although the consumption of human foods represents a substantial dietary change for wild primates, knowledge of how it impacts their physiology and behavior is limited. Here we explore how human food …
Validation of Body Condition Scoring as a Screening Test for Low Body Condition and Obesity in Common Marmosets ( Callithrix jacchus )
Assessing body weight is common practice for monitoring health in common marmosets ( Callithrix jacchus ). Body composition analysis via quantitative magnetic resonance (QMR) is a more in‐depth assessment allowing measurements of lean and fat mass, but it is expensive and remains unavailable to most. Alternatively, body condition scoring (BCS) is an instrument‐free method for visually inspecting and palpating lean and fat tissue. Animals are rate…
Comparative Analysis of Fecal Microbiome Composition in Zoo‐Housed Colobines: The Influence of Dietary Macronutrients, Browse Provisioning, and Phylogeny
This study investigated the interplay between dietary macronutrient composition, browse provisioning frequency, and host phylogeny in shaping the gut microbiome of zoo‐housed colobine monkeys. We focused on four species ( Colobus guereza, Colobus angolensis, Trachypithecus cristatus , and Trachypithecus francoisi ) housed across 20 AZA‐accredited institutions and integrated detailed dietary records with fecal microbiome profiling. Diets were cate…
Biology (22 works) · Ecology (20 works) · Gut microbiota and health (17 works) · Microbiome (12 works) · Zoology (12 works) · Primate Behavior and Ecology (11 works) · Primate (10 works) · Diet and metabolism studies (9 works) · Bioinformatics (8 works) · Gut flora (7 works)