DISCOVERIESNewsin briefTRAVIS DUBRIDGE, KESHAB GOGOI, GET T Y IMAGES X2 ILLUSTRATION: JOE WALDRONOur adaptable
gut bacteria
may have
allowed us to
colonise new
environmentsPLANTINGBEES’ FAVOURITE
FLOWERS MAY HELP SAVE THEM
Bumblebeepopulations have declined in
recent decades. One reason for this is a lack
of flowers, and bees can be picky about the
blooms they visit, according to research
published in the journalEnvironmental
Entomology. It was found that of 100 flower
species, 14 were the preferred choice of thebees, with different bee species favouring
different flowers. “This study allowed
us to provide a concise, scientifically based
list of important plant species to use in
habitat restoration that will meet the
needs of multiple bumblebee species and
provide blooms across the entire annual
lifecycle,” said Helen Loffland, who took part
in the research.“Weoutsourced ourbody microbes intoour foods – thatcould well be themost important toolwe ever invented”the consequences of changes in the
human microbiome,” said Dunn.
By using data from previously
published studies of gut bacteria found
in humans and other primates, the team
found that there are big differences
in the function and composition of a
person’s microbiome depending on their
location, their diet and their lifestyle.
They think that when our ancestors
arrived in new places and encountered
new foods, it was the adaptability of
their gut bacteria that allowed them to
detoxify and digest the food.
But the team also believes that our
ancestors learnt to process food by
employing the bacteria from their
bodies to initiate the fermentation
process. Similar methods are still in
use today – bacteria in saliva are used
to produce alcoholic drinks in Latin
America, and skin bacteria are involved
in the production of some soft cheeses
and sourdough breads. By using theirmicrobes to ferment certain meats,
tubers and roots, our ancestors were
able to enrich the vitamin content of
these foods as well as preserve them
for longer to provide a lasting source of
nutrition in a particular location.
“We outsourced our body microbes
into our foods – that could well be the
most important tool we ever invented.But it’s a hard tool to see in the past
and so we don’t talk about it much.
Stone artefacts preserve, but fish or
beer fermented in a hole in the ground
doesn’t,” said Dunn. “Hopefully the
next decade will see more focus on
microbes in our past and less on
sharp rocks.”
Dr Tim Spector, professor of genetic
epidemiology at King’s College London
and author ofThe Diet Myth, echoes
the sentiment. “The hypothesis that
microbes helped our ancestors adapt
to new environments is compelling,
though hard to prove,” he said. “Our
gut microbes are the most unique and
modifiable part of our bodies and
will rapidly react to new foods and
environment. We share only around
25 per cent of our microbes with each
other compared to over 99 per cent of
our genes, so it makes sense that we
relied on them for the rapid adaptations
needed as we expanded [our range].”2