Exploring the bovine rumen bacterial community from birth to adulthood
Published on 21/02/2013
The authors of this 2013 Nature publication describe the changes occurring in the rumen ecosystem after birth. Some rumen bacteria that are essential for mature rumen function could be detected as early as one day after birth, long before the rumen is active, or even before ingestion of plant material occurs. The diversity and within-group similarity of rumen bacteria increased with age, suggesting a more diverse — but homogeneous and specific — mature community, compared with the more heterogeneous and less diverse primary community.