Giant Panda Evolution BY: Tyler a., Thomas O. and Rowan E.
Panda Now
General Information
The Giant Panda is found in remote and mountainous regions in central China. Here there are cool, wet bamboo forests for the Panda. They live in dens made from hollowed out logs and stumps. They eat mainly bamboo, they do not eat meat. Early ancestors ate meat and plants. They eat 12 hours of the day. They are 4 to 5 feet tall and weigh 300 pounds on average. They mate in the spring and have 1 or 2 offspring about 180 days later. Cubs weigh about 3-5 ounces at birth, and are 100% blind at birth. Their parents set them free at 18 months.
Early Ancestors
The Panda belongs to the Ailuiopoda, the oldest family of bears. The oldest fossil of a Panda discovered is 8 million years old. The Panda that we see now evolved about 3 million years ago. These Panda's lived in China, mostly southern but sometimes they got as north as modern Bejing. Panda's used to be omnivores, but then they just switched to bamboo because it could be digested with ease.
Minshan, China is where most of the panda population lives. Pictured below is Minshan, China.
Panda Future
As the poachers kill Giant Panda's and cut down their environment, the Giant Panda population will split because they don't want to go back there. When the Pandas move into new environments, North and South, they will have to adapt, making two new species. The Pandas in the North will need need to be fast to run away from predators, and need new green and thicker fur to adapt to the cold and blend into their environment. The Panda's in the North will also need bigger ears so it can hear more. Now, the Panda's that evolved in the North can't breed with the Giant Panda's in the South making it a new species.
Bibliography
Works Cited Bradford, By Alina. "Giant Panda Facts." LiveScience. TechMedia Network, 26 Sept. 2014. Web. 21 Jan. 2016. Camouflage Green. Digital image. Find The Data. Find The Data, n.d. Web. 21 Jan. 2016. DiscoveryNews. "Pandas Threatened by Climate Change : DNews." DNews. Discovery News, 13 Dec. 2012. Web. 21 Jan. 2016. Gray, Richard. Picture of Panda in Bamboo. Digital image. The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group, 26 Aug. 2013. Web. 21 Jan. 2016. Lazywebsite. "Panda Evolution: Evolution of Panda's." Darwin Evolved. World Press, 14 June 2011. Web. 21 Jan. 2016. Thomas, Ceri. "Question: What Did Panda's Evolve From?" Evolution Zone. N.p., 17 June 2010. Web. 29 Jan. 2016.