Gut microbiota help blue sheep adapt to local diets

XINING — Chinese researchers have recently revealed that the plasticity of gut microbiota is a key factor assisting ungulates in better adapting to different regions on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in western China.

This study has provided insights into understanding how gut microbiota helps hosts adapt to local diets during the adaptation of ungulates to different areas on "the roof of the world", according to the Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Conducted by a research team from the NWIPB, the study also unveiled the host-microbiota synergy mechanism of plateau wildlife, thereby providing a scientific basis for formulating targeted protection strategies. These findings have been published in the journal mSystems.