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Agta hunter-gatherer oral microbiomes are shaped by contact network structure
Federico Musciotto1,2, Begoña Dobon2,3, Michael Greenacre4,5
1Dipartimento di Fisica e Chimica, Università di Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
Evolutionary Human Sciences
|August 17, 2023
Summary
Extensive social contact among Agta hunter-gatherers shapes their oral microbiome, favoring pathogenic bacteria. This social microbiome is linked to mobility and interaction networks, highlighting evolutionary trade-offs.
Area of Science:
- Human microbiome research
- Evolutionary anthropology
- Microbial ecology
Background:
- The human microbiome is influenced by lifestyle and environment.
- Hunter-gatherer populations offer unique insights into human-microbe interactions.
- Social behavior is a potential driver of microbial community structure.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of sociality and mobility on the oral microbiome of Agta hunter-gatherers.
- To compare the Agta oral microbiome with other populations.
- To identify bacteria influenced by social contact and network structure.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of oral microbiome composition in 138 Agta individuals.
- Comparison with oral microbiomes of BaYaka hunter-gatherers and neighboring farmers.
- Quantification of social contact using wireless sensors.
- Network analysis of bacterial transmission and social interactions.
Main Results:
- Agta oral microbiome composition is more similar to BaYaka hunter-gatherers than to farmers.
- A distinct 'Agta social microbiome' of 137 bacteria was identified, influenced by social contact.
- Social interaction networks predicted bacterial transmission patterns.
- Central individuals in social networks were identified as bacterial supersharers.
Conclusions:
- Hunter-gatherer social microbiomes are largely pathogenic.
- Extensive sociality and mobility in hunter-gatherer groups drive the structure of the oral microbiome.
- Evolutionary trade-offs exist between sociality and disease transmission in human populations.
