Gut fungal profiles reveal phylosymbiosis and codiversification across humans and nonhuman primates

Abstract

Fungi in the gut microbiome, collectively known as the mycobiome, are a prevalent yet neglected component of the human holobiont. A major question in the study of gut microbial communities is whether fungi exhibit eco-evolutionary patterns that are consistent with partner fidelity and long-term associations. We compared gut fungal profiles across natural populations of humans and nonhuman primates and identified significant degrees of primate-mycobiome phylosymbiosis as well as human- enriched fungal taxa. Notably, subsets of fungi are cophylogenetic and exhibit cospeciation patterns in hominids. These findings cautiously originate a new view on the eco-evolutionary potential that can shape the composition of human and primate gut mycobiomes.