Article Interactions between multiple helminths and the gut microbio...
The first sentence of the Introduction of this article reads:
"Mammals have coevolved with their gut microbial community (microbiota) for approximately 500 million years."
This is an amazing statement, given that the first true mammals did not appear until 220 mya, and 500 mya the only vertebrates around were the jawless fishes (lampreys, hagfishes), having evolved from primitive Chordates only 50 my before that. How does one justify such a statement? How did this get past the reviewers and editors?
Hi Brad, is this the first time you have seen an obviously wrong statement in a published, peer-reviewed paper?
You are young. You will see many more ignorant statements in peer-reviewed journals in years to come. Even the big journals have their share of stupid.
Hello Brad;
Perhaps there is a more charitable interpretation of the passage. Mammals and their symbionts have a long, coevolved history. The author is likely suggesting that the association was present even in the remote ancestors of mammals...much like our association with our mitochondria.
Best regards, Jim Des Lauriers
Brad,
I concur with Steingrimur, you will find many unsupported statements in peer reviewed publications, but it is a surprise coming from a Royal Society publication. I also agree with James that a charitable interpretation is that the lineage leading to and including mammals has been associated with a gut microbial community, but the figure provided (500 my) seems to be speculation. If I had to guess, the microbiome is as old as guts themselves.
I am young, Stein...? I am 62 years old, not that it makes any difference. I am wrong? No, you are wrong to falsely attribute your own assumptions to me. Don't put words in my mouth, "old man"! I've been around a long time and I've seen a lot of crap published. That doesn't mean I can't call out such a laughable boner as this one.
As to the serious replies (Randall and James), thanks. Yes, I thought about this, but the obvious attempt to pinpoint a date means the authors don't have a clue either how old mammals are, nor vertebrates, nor guts. If they had substituted "Vertebrates" for "Mammals" I would not have thought twice.
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