GoKawiilStudy finds gut microbes shared by Hadza and Tsimane trace ancient human migrations
Researchers led by Carter et al., writing in Nature, compared gut microbiota of Tanzania's Hadza people with Bolivia's Tsimane people, whose ancestors diverged tens of thousands of years ago. They found hundreds of microbial species common to both groups, with genetic differences between strains aligning with the timing of prehistoric human migrations. Many of these shared microbes are now rare or absent in people living in industrialized regions.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The findings suggest gut microbes have co-evolved with humans over vast timescales and migrated alongside ancient populations, offering a potential biological record of human dispersal out of Africa. The apparent loss of these ancestral microbes in industrialized populations could indicate that modern lifestyles, diets, or sanitation practices have altered the human microbiome in ways that warrant further study of their health implications.
- Hundreds of gut microbial species are shared between Tanzania's Hadza and Bolivia's Tsimane populations.
- Genetic divergence between shared microbial strains matches the timescale of ancient human migrations.
- Many of these ancestral microbes are rare or missing in people from industrialized societies.
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Published there as: “Gut microbes that trace ancient human journeys”
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