Numerous biological and cultural factors influence the microbial communities (microbiota) that inhabit the human mouth, including diet, environment, hygiene, physiology, health status, genetics, and lifestyle. As oral microbiota can underpin oral and systemic diseases, tracing the evolutionary history of oral microbiota and the factors that shape its origins will unlock information to mitigate disease today. Despite this, the origins of many oral microbes remain unknown, and the key factors in the past that shaped our oral microbiota are only now emerging. High throughput DNA sequencing of oral microbiota using ancient DNA and comparative anthropological methodologies has been employed to investigate oral microbiota origins, revealing a complex, rich history. Here, I review the current literature on the factors that shaped and guided oral microbiota evolution, both in Europe and globally. In Europe, oral microbiota evolution was shaped by interactions with Neandertals, the adaptation of farming, widespread integration of industrialization, and postindustrial lifestyles that emerged after World War II. Globally, evidence for a multitude of different oral microbiota histories is emerging, likely supporting dissimilarities in modern oral health across discrete human populations. I highlight how these evolutionary changes are linked to the development of modern oral diseases and discuss the remaining factors that need to be addressed to improve this embryonic field of research. I argue that understanding the evolutionary history of our oral microbiota is necessary to identify new treatment and prevention options to improve oral and systemic health in the future.

中文翻译：

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人类口腔微生物群的进化史及其对现代健康的影响

许多生物和文化因素都会影响人类口腔中的微生物群落（微生物群），包括饮食，环境，卫生，生理，健康状况，遗传和生活方式。由于口腔微生物群可以支持口腔和全身性疾病，因此追踪口腔微生物群的进化历史以及影响其起源的因素将为当今缓解疾病的疾病释放信息。尽管如此，许多口腔微生物的起源仍然未知，而过去影响我们口腔微生物的关键因素才刚刚出现。使用古代DNA和比较人类学方法对口腔微生物群进行高通量DNA测序已用于研究口腔微生物群的起源，揭示了一个复杂而丰富的历史。这里，我回顾了有关影响和指导口腔微生物群进化的因素的最新文献，无论是在欧洲还是全球。在欧洲，口腔微生物群的进化是通过与尼安德特人的互动，农业的适应，工业化的广泛整合以及第二次世界大战后出现的后工业化生活方式而形成的。在全球范围内，越来越多的口腔微生物群史的证据正在出现，这很可能支持离散人群在现代口腔健康方面的差异。我重点介绍了这些进化变化与现代口腔疾病的发展之间的关系，并讨论了改善这一胚胎研究领域需要解决的其余因素。