Convergent gut microbiome adaptation and pervasive antibiotic resistome in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau passerines

This study investigates the host-associated and environmental microbiome in a high-altitude grassland ecosystem of the Tibetan Plateau. Fecal samples were collected from two passerine bird species, the Ground Tit (Pseudopodoces humilis) and the Rufous-necked Snowfinch (Pyrgilauda ruficollis), along with paired soil and grass (phyllosphere) samples from their immediate habitat. Sampling was conducted in July-August 2024. The goal is to characterize the avian gut microbial communities and assess potential environmental microbial exchanges in this extreme environment. Metagenomic sequencing was performed to enable taxonomic and functional profiling.