A study published in Science (2011) reveals that diet drives convergence in gut microbiome functions across mammalian phylogeny and within humans. Researchers analyzed microbial communities from 33 mammalian species and 18 humans with detailed diet records, using shotgun sequencing and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. They found that microbiota adaptation to diet is reproducible across mammalian lineages, and that functional repertoires of microbiome genes can be predicted from bacterial species assemblages. The study shows that diet is a key factor in shaping gut microbial communities, and that the functional profiles of these communities are closely related to the host's diet. The research also highlights the importance of diet in differentiating gut microbial communities among mammals, and suggests that the co-evolution of mammals and their gut microbiota is a major factor in shaping the microbiome. The study also found that the gut microbiome of humans is significantly associated with dietary intake, and that the structure and function of the gut microbiome are influenced by diet. The findings suggest that diet is a major driver of microbiome evolution, and that understanding the relationship between diet and the gut microbiome is crucial for understanding host evolution. The study also emphasizes the need to sample humans across the globe with a variety of extreme diets and lifestyles to gain new insights into the limits of variation within a host species and the possibility that our microbes, in coevolving with our bodies and our cultures, have helped shape our physiological differences and environmental adaptations.A study published in Science (2011) reveals that diet drives convergence in gut microbiome functions across mammalian phylogeny and within humans. Researchers analyzed microbial communities from 33 mammalian species and 18 humans with detailed diet records, using shotgun sequencing and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. They found that microbiota adaptation to diet is reproducible across mammalian lineages, and that functional repertoires of microbiome genes can be predicted from bacterial species assemblages. The study shows that diet is a key factor in shaping gut microbial communities, and that the functional profiles of these communities are closely related to the host's diet. The research also highlights the importance of diet in differentiating gut microbial communities among mammals, and suggests that the co-evolution of mammals and their gut microbiota is a major factor in shaping the microbiome. The study also found that the gut microbiome of humans is significantly associated with dietary intake, and that the structure and function of the gut microbiome are influenced by diet. The findings suggest that diet is a major driver of microbiome evolution, and that understanding the relationship between diet and the gut microbiome is crucial for understanding host evolution. The study also emphasizes the need to sample humans across the globe with a variety of extreme diets and lifestyles to gain new insights into the limits of variation within a host species and the possibility that our microbes, in coevolving with our bodies and our cultures, have helped shape our physiological differences and environmental adaptations.