Ancient dental remains reveal a gradual shift in human microbiomes during the Neolithic transition
In short: Researchers who analyzed dental calculus from ancient remains found that the human oral microbiome underwent a significant transformation as humans moved from hunter-gatherer lifestyles to agriculture. By comparing samples from different eras in Italy, the team observed that the shift in microbial composition was not immediate but occurred gradually over time.
The study integrated the analysis of 76 dental calculus samples with data on embedded plant remains to track dietary changes. The results showed that while the microbiome began to deviate from hunter-gatherer patterns in the early Neolithic, the most pronounced changes occurred during the late Neolithic period. This evidence supports the idea that the adoption of farming was a slow, multi-generational process.
A primary limitation of this study is that it focuses on a specific, restricted geographical area in Italy, which may not represent the transition across all global populations.
Why it matters: Our internal ecosystems, like our microbiomes, reflect the long-term history of how our ancestors changed what they ate.
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