How Did Pandas Become Vegetarian? 6-Million-Year-Old Mystery Finally Gets Solved

The discovery of fossils of pandas in China helped researchers to solve the mystery of how they became vegetarian even though they belong to the bear family. The question has haunted researchers for a long time, and finally, they have an answer.

The fossils which helped the research date back to around six million years and were found in southwest China’s Yunnan province. The fossil belongs to the panda species Ailurarcto, which is extinct now. They lived in China around six to eight million years ago.

Decoded: Why Pandas Are Vegetarian

Panda eating Bamboo Stick — Panda eating bamboo stick

Panda fossils revealed that they developed a ‘false thumb’ that made them vegetarian. The false thumb helps the panda grip and break heavy bamboo stems. Reports said, “The false thumb in Ailurarctos shows for the first time, the likely timing and steps in the evolution of bamboo feeding in pandas.”

Also, the false thumb found in Zhaotong city is longer than the one found in modern panda but it doesn’t have the inward hook on the end. Pandas generally eat for up to 15 hours a day and adult pandas consume 45 kg of bamboo in a day. Mostly all pandas are vegetarian but wild pandas are sometimes known to hunt small animals.

Researcher Shares Views On The Discovery

Wang Xiaoming, curator of vertebrate palaeontology at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, explained, “The giant panda is… a rare case of a large carnivore with a short, carnivorous digestive tract… that has become a dedicated herbivore.”

“While the giant panda’s false thumb is not the most elegant or dexterous… even a small, protruding lump at the wrist can be a modest help in preventing bamboo from slipping off bent fingers,” Wang added.