Data from: Social networks predict gut microbiome composition in wild baboons

Social relationships have profound effects on health in humans and other
primates, but the mechanisms that explain this relationship are not well
understood. Using shotgun metagenomic data from wild baboons, we found
that social group membership and social network relationships predicted
both the taxonomic structure of the gut microbiome and the structure of
genes encoded by gut microbial species. Rates of interaction directly
explained variation in the gut microbiome, even after controlling for
diet, kinship, and shared environments. They therefore strongly implicate
direct physical contact among social partners in the transmission of gut
microbial species. We identified 51 socially structured taxa, which were
significantly enriched for anaerobic and non-spore-forming lifestyles. Our
results argue that social interactions are an important determinant of gut
microbiome composition in natural animal populations—a relationship with
important ramifications for understanding how social relationships
influence health, as well as the evolution of group living.