Fecal Metagenomics Study Reveals That a Low-Fiber Diet Drives the Migration of Wild Asian Elephants in Xishuangbanna, China.

ABSTRACT: The rare northward migration of wild Asian elephants in Xishuangbanna, China, has attracted global attention. Elephant migration is a complex ecological process, and the factors driving this long-distance migration remain elusive. In this study, fresh fecal samples were collected from both captive and wild Asian elephants, along with breastfed calves residing within the Wild Elephant Valley of Xishuangbanna. Our aim was to investigate the relationship between diet, gut microbiota, and migration patterns in Asian elephants through comprehensive metagenomic sequencing analyses. Among the breastfed Asian elephant group, Bacteroidales and Escherichia emerged as the dominant bacterial taxa, while the primary carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) enriched in this group were GH2, GH20, GH9

SUBMITTER: Li X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10603651 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature