Social bees have kept their gut microbes for 80 million years

Social bees have kept their gut microbes for 80 million years 04/04/2017 12:57 PM EDT Bacteria living in the guts of social bees have been passed down from generation to generation for 80 million years, according to a new study. The finding adds to the case that social creatures, like bees and humans, not only transfer bacteria between one another in their own lifetime--they have a distinctive relationship with bacteria over time, in some cases even evolving on parallel tracks as species. Full story at https://news.utexas.edu/2017/03/29/social-bees-kept-their-gut-microbes-for-80-million-years Source University of Texas at Austin This is an NSF News From the Field item.   Follow NSF:  This email was sent using GovDelivery, on behalf of: National Science Foundation Update · 4201 Wilson Boulevard · Arlington, VA 22230 · 703-292-5111