Pandas are well-known for their love of bamboo, but scientists have discovered that their digestive systems are actually more suited to a meat-based diet. Chinese researchers believe they now understand why.
They suggest that eating large amounts of bamboo influences pandas’ behavior and helps regulate their sense of smell and taste. Native to southwest China, pandas spend up to 16 hours a day consuming bamboo, during which they absorb a genetic material known as microRNA (miRNA) into their bloodstream.
This molecule plays a key role in the transfer of genetic information throughout the panda’s body, affecting various aspects of their behavior, according to research published on Friday. The study, led by China West Normal University in Sichuan province, found that miRNA is involved in regulating gene expression in pandas.
Dr. Li Feng, a senior author of the study, explained that miRNA influences important physiological processes in pandas, including growth, biological rhythms, behavior, and immune responses.
“MiRNA in bamboo also plays a role in regulating the sense of smell, taste, and dopamine pathways in giant pandas, all of which are linked to their feeding habits,” Dr. Li Feng explained.
The researchers suggest that as a baby panda matures, it learns to identify the freshest and most nutritious bamboo, helping it adapt to a plant-based diet.
The study analyzed blood samples from six adult pandas and one juvenile, discovering 57 traces of miRNAs likely originating from bamboo.
Scientists hope this finding will provide more insight into how plant miRNA affects animals, potentially leading to advances in disease treatment or prevention.
Although pandas primarily consume bamboo leaves, stems, and shoots, about 1% of their diet consists of other plants and even small animals like rodents.
Around 1,800 pandas remain in the wild, inhabiting mountain ranges in the Chinese provinces of Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Gansu. Habitat loss and fragmentation are the greatest threats to these animals, while their relatively low reproductive rate adds to the challenge of their conservation. When they do reproduce, newborn pandas are particularly fragile.
In response, China has significantly expanded its efforts to protect the species, increasing the number of panda reserves from 12 to 67 in recent decades.