José M. Montoya

An eco-evolutionary theory of host-associated microbiomes

This paper develops an eco-evolutionary theory explaining how host-specific microbiomes evolve through environmental fluctuations and vertical transmission, showing their heritability and specificity despite external influences.

Towards key principles of host-associated microbiome assembly

The paper presents a model to characterize microbiome assembly mechanisms using marine sponge and human microbiome data, showing that general mechanisms shape community structures across biological systems.

Too Soon to Save: structural uncertainty inverts the value of precautionary conservation action

This paper shows that adaptive conservation strategies, which learn before committing to protection, outperform precautionary strategies when ecological structure is uncertain and protection is irreversible.