Comments on: Sighting of Brown & White Panda

By: CryptoMatt

CryptoMatt — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 23:16:17 +0000

Seems like its just another recessive coloring pattern, they happen in a lot of animals. The only example that I can think of off the top of my head would be the Kermode Black Bears. White but not albino. The current estimates are that 1/10 bears in the population will be born with this coloring pattern.

Wouldn’t the fact that this recessive appearance is so rare be a sign that their isn’t a remarkable amount of interbreeding? Unless I’m wrong I was under the impression that one of the major signs of interbreeding was that recessive traits become far more prevalent then in a normal population. (Thus recessive genes like those for cystic fibrosis, a truly nasty genetic disease in humans, which would normally be covered have a better chance of being crippling to the population) If there was a bunch of these pandas being born I think I’d be worried but with only a few cases of this coloring pattern I’m not really concerned.

By: kittenz

kittenz — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 17:50:25 +0000

There is one population of giant pandas (which may actually be a separate species or subspecies) in which some individuals have brown and white fur. They may have been more common in the past, before pandas became critically endangered. I found a photo of one and will post a link to it when I have time to search for it.

All pandas are exceedingly rare in the wild, and brown & white ones more so than black & white, but I seriously doubt that the brown & white pandas are a specific indication of a genetic crisis in pandas. There IS a population bottleneck, and that in itself is a crisis, but it appears that there have always been a few brown & white pandas.

By: cryptidsrus

cryptidsrus — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 16:40:21 +0000

Everybody say the obligatory “Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!
Now that THAT’S out of the way:

Hey, it may be that there IS some inbreeding issues involved. If so, they may need to be addressed. Although I understand where you’re coming from, Loren. The detection of a very rare type of Panda should be news enough in of itself.

To be honest, the problem is that many people simply don’t care about stuff like this unless one puts it into SOME sort of context. Sad but true. I just hope the little critter is able to get the care it needs. If it took the news there might be a “problem” to get folks to deal with the Panda, then so be it.
But, again, I DO see where you are coming from, Loren.

By: JMonkey

JMonkey — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 16:00:55 +0000

qin qin, looks like a dirty black and white panda, but it is probably just a poor picture. I think they are jumping to conclusions on this. Next we will be needing to capture and transport Pandas between breeding locations to promote diversity. I believe this just happens occasionally. I had chickens as a child and sometimes my all black Chickens would throw a white one out, or a splash (white with black or brown sporadic feathers). It is simply a genetic throwback and it happens. I have seen the same in horses and cattle. Now if they have several in one year from several different parents then that would be alarming, but one does not seem like an emergency to me.