The gut microbiome of the Hadza hunter-gatherers was analyzed to understand how their foraging lifestyle influences microbial diversity and function. The study compared the microbiome of 27 Hadza individuals from Tanzania with 16 Italian urban controls and two rural African groups. The Hadza showed higher microbial richness and biodiversity than the Italian controls, with distinct microbial compositions, including a lack of Bifidobacterium and differences between sexes, likely due to sexual division of labor. The Hadza microbiome was enriched in Prevotella, Treponema, and unclassified Bacteroidetes, which may aid in digesting fibrous plant foods. The Hadza microbiome also showed a unique arrangement of Clostridiales, which could enhance their ability to extract nutrition from their diet. The study highlights the importance of the gut microbiome in human health and adaptation, and suggests that the Hadza microbiome represents a unique evolutionary adaptation to a foraging lifestyle. The findings emphasize the need to reevaluate the standards by which we consider the gut microbiome 'healthy' or 'unhealthy', as they are clearly context-dependent. The study also underscores the importance of further research into the gut microbiome of foraging populations to better understand the role of microbial communities in human health and evolution.The gut microbiome of the Hadza hunter-gatherers was analyzed to understand how their foraging lifestyle influences microbial diversity and function. The study compared the microbiome of 27 Hadza individuals from Tanzania with 16 Italian urban controls and two rural African groups. The Hadza showed higher microbial richness and biodiversity than the Italian controls, with distinct microbial compositions, including a lack of Bifidobacterium and differences between sexes, likely due to sexual division of labor. The Hadza microbiome was enriched in Prevotella, Treponema, and unclassified Bacteroidetes, which may aid in digesting fibrous plant foods. The Hadza microbiome also showed a unique arrangement of Clostridiales, which could enhance their ability to extract nutrition from their diet. The study highlights the importance of the gut microbiome in human health and adaptation, and suggests that the Hadza microbiome represents a unique evolutionary adaptation to a foraging lifestyle. The findings emphasize the need to reevaluate the standards by which we consider the gut microbiome 'healthy' or 'unhealthy', as they are clearly context-dependent. The study also underscores the importance of further research into the gut microbiome of foraging populations to better understand the role of microbial communities in human health and evolution.