Across the planet, microorganisms that are phylogenetically related can be found in similar communities, which suggests shared ecological preferences. This global pattern, which we term ‘community conservatism’, parallels well-established macroscopic ecological concepts such as phylogenetic signal and niche conservatism.
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References
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This is a summary of: Malfertheiner, L. et al. Community conservatism is widespread across microbial phyla and environments. Nat. Ecol. Evol. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-025-02957-4 (2026).
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Related microorganisms occupy similar ecological communities. Nat Ecol Evol (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-026-02975-w
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-026-02975-w
