The Adaptations Of The Giant Panda
Many of the adaptions of the Giant Panda have come about because of their main food source: bamboo.
Fingers, thumb and wrist.The most obvious adaptation has come about to help them eat bamboo easily; pandas have a sixth toe that helps them grasp bamboo. It also helps them to pull the shoots and leaves off of bamboo stems. The thumb is an extension of the wrist bone and without it they would not be able to eat as much as the need to.
Head, jaw and molars.The bamboo has also caused them to develop very strong jaw muscles so they can chew the hard plant because of this their heads have become bigger to accommodate the muscles.
The molars have also become quite larger, and quite smooth. Molars are very important to Pandas unlike many bears in the Ursidae family because they rarely use their canine teeth, their molars help them to chew the tough bamboo. Digestive system.Pandas, as bears, were built for meat but their digestive system has adapted to accommodate for their bamboo filled diet. Their oesophagus and their stomach has developed a strong lining so it doesn't tear when the bamboo is swallowed.
Their intestines are also a lot shorter then other bears' intestines and this is because bamboo has a lot of cellulose in it, which goes straight through the body. |