the evolution of gut microbiota in pandas
The relative influence of diet, host phylogeny, and environment on animal gut microbiota remains unresolved, particularly for endangered ursids lacking quantitative data. Here, we systematically evaluated the drivers of gut microbial assembly in captive versus wild giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca), red pandas (Ailurus fulgens), and Asiatic black bears (Ursus thibetanus) using 16S rRNA V4 sequencing.