To gain insight, researchers at the Center for Infection and Immunity at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health in New York City, NY, investigated ape poop. A recent study, published in Nature Communications, might give us a starting point. What this huge change in our diet means for our microbiome and related health is a tricky question to answer. There are still similarities today, but, as our diet has shifted, so has our microbiome. This means that the bacteria types living in our gut were, at least initially, pretty similar to our hairier cousins.

And, when our species first split and went off on our own evolutionary path, our diets probably had a lot in common, too. The human digestive system, though it does have differences from our closest relatives - the other great apes - is relatively similar. The Western diet, in particular, is wholly different to that of our ancestors just 100 years ago - let alone early humans who walked the earth millions of years ago. And, as humans have changed their diet over time, the microbiome has followed suit.

The types and numbers of bacterial species that call us home depend, to a certain extent, upon the diet that we provide them. Our understanding of the interplay between our gut bacteria and our health is growing deeper by the day. They are now implicated in a varied range of conditions, from arthritis to depression, and from anxiety to cancer. Our billions of silent passengers are vastly more important to our general health than was previously thought. Over recent years, our intestinal flora has taken center stage.

Share on Pinterest A study uncovers the seasonal variation in our ancestor’s microbiome.

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