Genomic and functional co-diversification imprint African Hominidae microbiomes to signal dietary and lifestyle adaptations.

ABSTRACT: In the diverse landscape of African hominids, the obligate relationship between the host and its microbiome narrates signals of adaptation and co-evolution. Sequencing 546 African hominid metagenomes, including those from indigenous Hadza and wild chimpanzees, identified similar bacterial richness and diversity surpassing those of westernized populations. While hominids share core bacterial communities, they also harbor distinct, population-specific bacterial taxa tailored to specific diets, ecology and lifestyles, differentiating non-indigenous and indigenous humans and chimpanzees. Even amongst shared bacterial communities, several core bacteria have co-diversified to fulfil unique dietary degradation functions within their host populations. These co-evolutionary trends extend to non-bac

SUBMITTER: Otani S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11959905 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature