A study in Nature describes the efforts of a large group researchers to sequence the genome of the giant panda, Ailuropoda melanoleura. The full text of the paper is available here - for the Cliff Notes, check it out at Science Daily. Lots of interesting findings. For one, there's no indication of a genetic basis allowing for the digestion of bamboo. Pandas, recall, feed almost exclusively on bamboo. This suggests that they may harbor a gut flora that enables them to process their food, much the same way that the gut flagellates of termites enable them to enjoy your otherwise indigestible house. The researchers did find mutations in the panda's TIR1 gene, which might affect their ability to taste meat - a possible explanation for their their gastronomic differences from their ursid cousins. One very bright spot - no signs of excessive lack of heterozygosity that are often associated with small populations. That bodes well for the pandas survival. Really nice example of the enhanced understanding that 21st Century techniques are going to bring to a wide range of disciplines.
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