DOI
https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2020.0824

Summary
This study is focused on the infant gut colonization patterns, a topic that has been extensively studied but not from an ecological point of view. The underlying ecological processes of the infant gut microbiota is related to the ecological choice of nutrient utilization strategies and none of the current studied models seem to fully explain the observed colonization patterns of the human infant gut. In this study, empirically determined nutrient utilization strategies were compared with that expected from a combinatorial game theory model. The data obtained with the model simulation and those obtained from empirical observation corresponded with respect to α and β diversity. The model was also able to explain the behaviour of different populations inhabiting the infant gut.

Relevance for Complex Systems Knowledge
The game theory model is known to successfully explain strategic interaction among parties. Here this theory was used to describe the ecological processes that happens until the maturation of the infant gut microbiota. This model was able to explicate certain empirically-observed aspects that were non fully explained by other ecological models.

Point of Strength
This paper gives a new insight into the ecological processes of the infant gut microbiota thanks to an in-silico approach. It shows how the game model is able to describe various aspects of the populations inhabiting the infant gut microbiota, starting from observational analyses for 100 mother–child pairs.