In order to find out which bacteria have a particularly significant influence, the Kiel researchers first colonized germ-free animals with one defined bacterial species each in the next step.

As for how the gang gets together, the authors suggest that insects may play a role in transporting fungi and bacteria from one decomposing animal to the next. As well as providing a curious ...

The animal kingdom is one branch of life on Earth, alongside plants, fungi, and two (or three, depending on which textbook you read) types of tiny organisms called bacteria. Animals can be ...