This article introduces a new concept regarding speciation. Before, the main focus around speciation, the splitting of a species from one another, was primarily based on environmental influences. Seth Bordenstein and Robert Brucker began to investigate gut microbes of being the culprits behind the speciation of jewel wasps.

The classic example of speciation is taking one species, splitting it into two groups and placing these groups in two different environments. These groups will adapt to their environments in different ways. When you put these two groups back together at a later point in time, they will no longer be able to mate and have successful offspring.

This study dealt with three species of jewel wasps: Nasonia giraulti, Nasonia longicornis and Nasonia vitripennis. N. vitripennis differs from the other two species and is unable to successfully breed with either of the other species, however N. giraulti and N. longicornis have offspring that survive.  The scientists behind the study knew the microbes in the guts of N. vitripennis differ from the other two species.

To further investigate this, all three species were raised without gut microbes, which was done by raising the offspring on sterile food. With this sterile diet, the offspring of N. vitripennis and N. giraulti lived.  However, when bacteria were introduced back into the sterile wasps, most of the second generation offspring died.

This study offers a novel way to differentiate species. Now scientists need to look at how the parents’ genes may not be compatible with the offspring’s micro biome. Microorganism’s genes are a vital part of evolution for an organism; it is not just the organism itself.  They co-evolve just as a predator prey association. This study opens the door to investigate many other factors that may be involved in speciation.