How Humans Gained an Advantage Over Primate Ancestors: A Closer Look at the Gut
Recent research from the University of California, Santa Cruz, has uncovered evidence that humans have lost some of the gut microbiome traits that enabled our primate ancestors to digest a wide variety of plant foods. The findings suggest that our modern diet has led to a loss of digestive diversity in humans, which could have implications for our health and well-being.
Our gut microbiome plays an important role in our health, providing us with essential nutrients and helping to protect us from disease. However, scientists have long wondered how the human gut microbiome has evolved over time. Now, researchers from UC Santa Cruz have used a combination of ancient DNA sequencing and modern microbiome analysis to uncover evidence that humans have lost some of the gut microbiome traits that enabled our primate ancestors to digest a wide variety of plant foods. This loss of digestive diversity could have serious implications for our health and well-being.
The researchers found that modern humans have a much more restricted range of gut bacteria than our ancient ancestors. They also discovered that some of the bacteria that were present in our primate ancestors are now extinct in humans. This suggests that our modern diets, which are often high in processed and refined foods, could be having a negative impact on our gut microbiome and our health.
source: Phys.org