DISCUSSION
To understand whether giant panda GM could contribute to their host’s ability to digest bamboo and inform the successful reintroduction of giant pandas, we assessed the variation in their GM during diet conversions and lifestyle shifts. The richness, diversity, and composition of giant panda gut microbial communities varied with diets and were influenced by lifestyle shifts. Diet and surrounding environments play important roles in shaping the GM of animals, including of humans (Koren et al 2012), snub-nosed monkeys (Miriam et al 2013), black honeybees (Zhao et al 2018) and mice (Miriam et al 2013). Similarly, our results suggest that diet conversion and lifestyle shifts are critical factors influencing the GM of giant pandas.