According to a new study, pandas are very similar to sloths, in the sense that they have very slow movements. The scientists involved in the study say that the pandas have really slow metabolism, which is why they move so sluggishly. Also, the experts attribute their slow movements to the animals’ levels of thyroid hormones and organ size. Although panda bears have a digestive system that could allow them to consume a meat diet, the black-and-white mammals eat mostly bamboo, which could be the reason why they have such a low expenditure of energy.
The new study was conducted by a team of biologists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Zoology in Beijing. The leader of the study was scientist Fuwen Wei who measured how much energy pandas consumed. The researchers examined three wild pandas from the Foping Nature Reserve in Shaanxi province, and five specimens living in captivity in the Beijing Zoo.
The study suggests that the pandas have a daily energy expenditure of about 5.2 megajoules, which was only about 38% of what the researchers expected to find. Also, they found that the pandas expended only about 6.2 megajoules daily, which was only 45% of what was expected from the studied animals. According to the researchers, wild pandas rest more than 50% of their day, and they travel at a speed of less than 65 ft per hour.
The biologists also investigated the level of thyroid hormones in the pandas and found there was a gene variation that was similar to that of humans who have low-functioning thyroid glands. The study revealed that the pandas use only a fraction of their thyroid, compared to other animals. The scientists were surprised to find that pandas exhibit the same amount of thyroid hormones as a black bear in its hibernation mode.
Fuwen Wei wrote in his study that pandas have a really low metabolism due to various factors of a physiological, behavioral, morphological and genetic nature.
The study also suggests that pandas have smaller organs compared to other species of bears, especially their kidneys, brain and liver. Scientists believe this could be the reason why pandas have such a slow metabolism and can survive eating a diet that consists mainly of bamboo.
Experts believe that because of their slow metabolism, pandas’ coat is very important for them because it helps them regulate the heat of their body.
The scientists published their findings in the journal Science.
Image Source: cnn