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Abstract: Interactions with the gut microbiota represent an important pathway through which host physiology is shaped. While biomedical studies of disease have provided insight into the mechanisms through which the gut microbiome influences human physiology, comparative research with non-human primates can provide ecological and evolutionary perspectives that improve our holistic understanding of human-microbe interactions. To begin to build this understanding, I integrate data describing evolutionary trends in human diet with diet and gut microbiome data from extant, non-human primates. I explore how emerging patterns associated with processed diets, fiber, and fermented foods can be used as a foundation for further research in diet-gut microbiota-health dynamics. I also explore how the gut microbes of different primate species affect host physiology and discuss implications for the evolution of unique human physiological traits.
Sponsored by Center for Human Evolutionary Studies (CHES)