Giant panda bears evolved away from other bear species about 20 million years ago. Though they have similar characteristics, like body shape and digestive system, they greatly differ in preferred diets. Most bear species will happily feast on meat, fish, and berries, while pandas tend to stick to bamboo.
A new study published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science points out that pandas have evolved in specific ways to make eating bamboo easier, including a pseudo thumb for holding bamboo and flatter teeth for chewing it. The study set out to determine why pandas evolved to be more herbivorous when they have the system to be carnivorous. The answer, they found, may lie within the bamboo itself.
There are over 1,000 species of bamboo, though pandas only snack on about 25 of them. The reedy, tree-like grass is a panda’s primary food source, especially the shoots. However, because bamboo has little ...
