A core oral microbiome has been maintained throughout African hominid evolution, but oral biofilms in Homo have undergone unique changes related to starch digestion, according to a study. Bacteria inhabiting the oral cavity play important roles in health and disease, but how this diverse microbial community evolved is unclear. James Fellows Yates, Christina Warinner, and colleagues analyzed 124 dental biofilm metagenomes from Neanderthals, modern humans, chimpanzees, gorillas, and New World howler monkeys. The analysis revealed 10 core bacterial genera that have been maintained throughout African hominid evolution and that are also shared with howler monkeys, suggesting that these microbial groups might have played a key role in oral biofilms for more than 40 million years. Currently, these core taxa are primarily involved in providing structural support within the dental plaque biofilm. In addition, the authors uncovered major differences in the microbial profiles of Homo and chimpanzees but striking similarities among Neanderthals and modern humans. In contrast to nonhuman primates, Homo is characterized by an abundance of Streptococcus species that can produce proteins that bind the enzyme amylase, which helps convert starch into sugars. This finding suggests that these microbes adapted to starch-rich diets early in human evolution. According to the authors, the study highlights the value of investigating ancient oral metagenomes to reveal key insights into major events in modern human evolution and prehistory.
Article #2020-21655: "The evolution and changing ecology of the African hominid oral microbiome," by James Fellows Yates et al.
MEDIA CONTACTS: James Fellows Yates, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, GERMANY; email: fellows@shh.mpg.de; Christina Warinner, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, GERMANY; tel: +49 (0) 3641 686-620; email: warinner@shh.mpg.de
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Journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences