Gut microbes less diverse in humans than in apes

Rapid shifts in bacterial populations may be related to environment, diet, genetics

Gorilla

DIVERSIFY  Gorillas have a complex mix of gut microbes to help them digest plants. Humans have lost much of that microbial diversity, perhaps due to differences in diet and genetics.

Pierre Fidenci/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.5)

Humans have evolved a less diverse mix of gut microbes than great apes have.