Microbiome characterization of a pre-Hispanic man from Zimapán, Mexico: Insights into ancient gut microbial communities (IMAGE)
Caption
Zimapán man, also referred to as Hna Hnu, was a resident of the Mesoamerican border who lived 1,000 years ago. The image shows the moment when Hna Hnu's body was opened. This body was found inside a cave in a dry environment, which allowed their remains to remain for nearly 1,000 years. From the remains, we were able to isolate a coprolite and intestinal tissue, which was used to extract the DNA of the bacteria still present at the time of Hna Hnu’s life. From this genetic material, we were able to recover their gut microbiome community. Bacteria associated with the degradation of complex plant tissue and even, very likely, with the degradation of insect molecules such as those of the Clostridium genus were discovered. Hna Hnu provided us with valuable information about the association between the microbiome and diet.
Credit
Rene Cerritos Flores, CC-BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Usage Restrictions
Credit must be given to the creator.
License
CC BY