Differences in Gut Microbial Composition and Characteristics Among Three Populations of the Bamboo Pitviper ().

The gut microbiota contributes to host health by facilitating nutrient uptake, digestion, energy metabolism, intestinal development, vitamin synthesis, and immunomodulation, and plays an important role in the growth and reproduction of the animal itself. Considering the paucity of research on the gut microbiota of wild snakes, this study focused on bamboo pitviper () populations from Anhui, Guizhou, and Hunan, with multiple fecal samples collected from each population (six, five, and three, respectively). Total microbial DNA was extracted from the fecal samples using metagenomic next-generation sequencing and differences in gut microbial composition, abundance, and carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) were analyzed and compared among the three populations.

Analysis of the association between microbiota and flavor formation during Zizhong Dongjian fermentation process.

Zizhong Dongjian (ZZDJ) is one of the most famous and popular fermented vegetables in China. The aim of this study was to explore the microbial communities and volatile flavor compounds of ZZDJ during different fermentation periods, as well as to reveal the potential correlation between microbiota and flavor. A total of 84 volatile flavor compounds were detected in 0-year to 3-year ZZDJ samples.

Phenotypic and Transcriptomic Analysis Revealed a Lack of Risk Perception by Native Tadpoles Toward Novel Non-Native Fish.

The introduction of alien species poses a serious threat to native biodiversity, and mountain lake systems in the southwest of China are particularly vulnerable to the introduction of non-native fish. The prey naivety hypothesis states that native species may not be able to recognize novel introduced species due to a lack of common evolutionary background and therefore become easy targets, so the impacts of non-native fish on mountain endemic amphibians need to be urgently assessed. In an ex-situ experiment, we exposed the tadpoles of the Chaochiao Brown Frog (), endemic to western China, to kairomones of both native and translocated fish species, and their phenotypic and genetic response patterns were compared.

The diet-intestinal microbiota dynamics and adaptation in an elevational migration bird, the Himalayan bluetail ().

Migratory birds experience changes in their environment and diet during seasonal migrations, thus requiring interactions between diet and gut microbes. Understanding the co-evolution of the host and gut microbiota is critical for elucidating the rapid adaptations of avian gut microbiota. However, dynamics of gut microbial adaptations concerning elevational migratory behavior, which is prevalent but understudied in montane birds remain poorly understood.

Comparative transcriptome and methylome of polar bears, giant and red pandas reveal diet-driven adaptive evolution.

Epigenetic regulation plays an important role in the evolution of species adaptations, yet little information is available on the epigenetic mechanisms underlying the adaptive evolution of bamboo-eating in both giant pandas () and red pandas (). To investigate the potential contribution of epigenetic to the adaptive evolution of bamboo-eating in giant and red pandas, we performed hepatic comparative transcriptome and methylome analyses between bamboo-eating pandas and carnivorous polar bears (). We found that genes involved in carbohydrate, lipid, amino acid, and protein metabolism showed significant differences in methylation and expression levels between the two panda species and polar bears.

Infant age inversely correlates with gut carriage of resistance genes, reflecting modifications in microbial carbohydrate metabolism during early life.

The infant gut microbiome is increasingly recognized as a reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes, yet the assembly of gut resistome in infants and its influencing factors remain largely unknown. We characterized resistome in 4132 metagenomes from 963 infants in six countries and 4285 resistance genes were observed. The inherent resistome pattern of healthy infants ( = 272) could be distinguished by two stages: a multicompound resistance phase (Months 0-7) and a tetracycline-mupirocin-β-lactam-dominant phase (Months 8-14).

Genetic assessment of eight zoo populations of golden snub-nosed monkey () implication to the conservation management of captive populations.

Captive breeding programs play an important role in preserving the genetic diversity of endangered species. It is of utmost importance to conduct genetic assessment for captive populations in order to develop scientific breeding plans and conservation management strategies. Here, we genotyped 10 microsatellite loci and sequenced 368 bp of mitochondrial DNA control region for the golden snub-nosed monkey () from eight captive populations in China, and compared the genetic indices of captive populations with a wild population.

Global richness patterns of alpine genus depend on multiple factors.

Environmental factors impact species richness differently across taxonomic groups, and understanding the geographic patterns and drivers influencing alpine plant richness remains limited. This study compiled global distribution data of 404 species of , an alpine genus, and analyzed the relative effects of different environmental factors and several previously proposed models on the variation of richness. By evaluating the effects of range size and regions on the relationships between richness and environmental factors, we found that all tested environmental factors had weak effects on richness variation for all species and wide-ranging species, while habitat heterogeneity was the best predictor for narrow-ranging species.

Volatile responses of dwarf birch to mimicked insect herbivory and experimental warming at two elevations in Greenlandic tundra.

Plants release a complex blend of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in response to stressors. VOC emissions vary between contrasting environments and increase with insect herbivory and rising temperatures. However, the joint effects of herbivory and warming on plant VOC emissions are understudied, particularly in high latitudes, which are warming fast and facing increasing herbivore pressure.

Large-scale genetic surveys for main extant population of wild giant panda () reveals an urgent need of human management.

There are only six isolated living giant panda populations, and a comprehensive understanding of their genetic health status is crucial for the conservation of this vulnerable species. Liangshan Mountains is one of the main distribution areas of living giant pandas and is outside the newly established Giant panda national park. In this study, 971 giant panda fecal samples were collected in the heartland of Liangshan Mountains (Mabian Dafengding Nature Reserve: MB; Meigu Dafengding Nature Reserve: MG; and Heizhugou Nature Reserve: HZG).

Comparative metagenomics analysis reveals how the diet shapes the gut microbiota in several small mammals.

The gut microbiomes of the host are large and complex communities, which helps to maintain homeostasis, improves digestive efficiency, and promotes the development of the immune system. The small mammals distributed in Sichuan Province are the most popular species for biodiversity research in Southwest China. However, the effects of different diets on the structure and function of the gut microbial community of these small mammals are poorly understood.

Brain size variation along altitudinal gradients in the Asiatic Toad ().

Size changes in brain and brain regions along altitudinal gradients provide insight into the trade-off between energetic expenditure and cognitive capacity. We investigated the brain size variations of the Asiatic Toad () across altitudes from 700 m to 3,200 m. A total of 325 individuals from 11 sites and two transects were sampled.

The draft genome of the blood pheasant (): Phylogeny and high-altitude adaptation.

The blood pheasant (), the only species in the genus , lives in an extremely inhospitable high-altitude environment, coping with hypoxia and ultraviolet (UV) radiation. To further investigate the phylogeny of Phasianidae species based on complete genomes and understand the molecular genetic mechanisms of the high-altitude adaptation of the blood pheasant, we de novo assembled and annotated the complete genome of the blood pheasant. The blood pheasant genome size is 1.

Population genetic structure and intraspecific genetic distance of (Blattodea: Blattidae) based on mitochondrial and nuclear DNA markers.

The American cockroach () is a globally invasive pest that can cause significant economic loss and threaten human health. Although it is abundant and lives in close proximity to humans, few studies have investigated the genetic diversity of . Our study analyzed 1,053 and other species' samples from different locations in China and the United States.

Sexually differential tolerance to water deficiency of -A female-biased alpine willow.

Salicaceae plants are dioecious woody plants. Previous studies have shown that male individuals are more tolerant to water deficiency than females for male-biased poplars. However, is a female-biased species in nature.

Dung-associated arthropods influence foraging ecology and habitat selection in Black-necked Cranes () on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Variation in grassland vegetation structure influences the habitat selection of insectivorous birds. This variation presents a trade-off for insectivorous predators: Arthropod abundance increases with vegetation height and heterogeneity, but access to arthropod prey items decreases. In contrast, grazing by large herbivores reduces and homogenizes vegetation, decreasing total arthropod abundance and diversity.

Population genetics reveals high connectivity of giant panda populations across human disturbance features in key nature reserve.

The giant panda is an example of a species that has faced extensive historical habitat fragmentation, and anthropogenic disturbance and is assumed to be isolated in numerous subpopulations with limited gene flow between them. To investigate the population size, health, and connectivity of pandas in a key habitat area, we noninvasively collected a total of 539 fresh wild giant panda fecal samples for DNA extraction within Wolong Nature Reserve, Sichuan, China. Seven validated tetra-microsatellite markers were used to analyze each sample, and a total of 142 unique genotypes were identified.

Males increase call frequency, not intensity, in response to noise, revealing no Lombard effect in the little torrent frog.

Noise is one of the main factors that can influence the processes of sound communication across a wide range of animal groups. Although the effects of ambient noise on animal communication, including anthropogenic noise, have received increasing attention, few studies have examined changes in the fine structure of acoustic signals produced by vocalizing species in constantly noisy environments. Here, we used natural recordings to determine the associations between stream noise and call parameters in the little torrent frog ().

Phylogeography of two closely related species of endemic to East Asia: Population evolution in response to climate oscillations.

This study investigated the effects of climate oscillations on the evolution of two closely related species, and . We sequenced three cp DNA (cpDNA) fragments (16, 32-L, and D-T, together approximately 2,500 bp in length) of two closely related species, with samples from 367 individuals in 47 populations distributed across the total range of these species. The interspecific and intraspecific divergence times of the two species were in the Quaternary glaciation.

Molecular phylogeny and phylogeography of genus (Bovidae, Cetartiodactyla): New insights into the contrasting phylogeographic structure.

Blue sheep, , is endemic to the Tibetan Plateau and the surrounding mountains, which are the highest-elevation areas in the world. Classical morphological taxonomy suggests that there are two subspecies in genus (Bovidae, Artiodactyla), namely and . However, the validity and geographic characteristics of these subspecies have never been carefully discussed and analyzed.