An essential introduction to a cutting-edge field that is revolutionizing the life sciences, this book explains why microbiome science presents a more complete picture of the biology of humans and other animals and how it can deliver novel therapies for many medical conditions and new strategies for pest control.

Table of Contents

• Preface
• 1. Introduction: Animals in a Microbial World
• 1.1. What Is An Animal?
• 1.2. Terminology: Dismantling the Tower of Babel
• 1.3. The Microbiology of Animals
• 1.4. Scope of This Book
• 2. The Ancient Roots of the Animal Microbiomes
• 2.1. Introduction
• 2.2. The Social Life of Bacteria
• 2.3. The Multiorganismal Origins of Eukaryotes
• 2.4. The Ubiquity of Microbial Associations in Eukaryotes
• 2.5. The Animal Condition
• 2.6. Summary
• 3. The Microbiome and Human Health
• 3.1. Introduction
• 3.2. The Biogeography of the Human Microbiome
• 3.3. How to Study Microbiota Effects on Human Health
• 3.4. The Microbiota and Human Disease
• 3.5. The Mass Extinction Event Within?
• 3.6 Summary
• 4. Defining the Rules of Engagement: The Microbiome and the Animal Immune System
• 4.1. Introduction
• 4.2. Immune Effectors and the Regulation of the Microbiota
• 4.3. The Effects of the Microbiota on Animal Immune Function
• 4.4. Symbiont-Mediated Protection: Microbiota as the Second Immune System
• 4.5. Summary
• 5. Microbial Drivers of Animal Behavior
• 5.1. Introduction
• 5.2. Microbes and Animal Feeding Behavior
• 5.3. Microbial Arbiters of Mental Well-Being
• 5.4. Microbes and Animal Communication
• 5.5. Summary
• 6. The Inner Ecosystem of Animals
• 6.1. Introduction
• 6.2. The Abundance and Distribution of Animal-Associated Microorganisms
• 6.3. Ecological Processes Shaping Microbial Communities in Animals
• 6.4. Functions of the Inner Ecosystem
• 6.5. Summary
• 7. Evolutionary Processes and Consequences
• 7.1. Introduction
• 7.2. Costs and Benefits
• 7.3. Evolutionary Specialization and Its Consequences
• 7.4. Symbiosis as the Evolutionary Engine of Diversification
• 7.5. Summary
• 8. The Animal Reimagined
• 8.1. Introduction
• 8.2. The Scope of the Animal
• 8.3. The Determinants of Animal Phenotype
• 8.4. The Animal in the Anthropocene
• References