Human gut microbiome evolution: From hunter-gatherers to a western lifestyle
Thursday, February 25, 2016 - 15:00
in Biology & Nature
Westerners have a less-diverse gut microbiome compared to hunter-gatherers, but how and why these microbe collections diverged has largely remained a mystery. Now, researchers describe an intermediate gut microbiome from the Central African Republic's Bantu community, a traditional population that incorporates some westernized lifestyle practices. The discovery offers insight into what factors may drive our microbiome differences, which are thought to be linked to metabolic disorders in western populations.