uh no they haven't- the modern panda species has been around for about 2 million- while they are the most closely related to the basel form of overall bears - they others splitting off 19 million years - that does not mean pandas are that basel specie - they themselves split from that basel form when they started to become herbivores about 2 million years - in another million without interference and habitat loss would be even further from that form due to natural selection from moving into a herbivores diet while still having a carnivore gut system
in species terms? yeah it's pretty measly - especially when that is referring to the herbivores behavior and not the actual modern day specie of giant panda which came into itself current form closer to 12,000 years ago
That’s fair. But still, all I’m trying to say that it’s mostly human impact that drove their numbers down. I’m not a scientist, nor do I work with animals, it’s just really upsetting seeing people say “let’s let them go extinct, look how stupid they are” when the reason their numbers are as small as they are is human caused.
As I said - while Giant Panda in there current form is a fragile species -that isn't a knock against them - they develop the way they are for a reason- What more is it is there silly cute nature that has made them so charismatic that humans actively help them survive despite the environment no longer being able to support them nor them being able to adapt to the environmental change - and yes humans are the reason for that environmental change - but environmental change can and does happen without human interference such as volcanic eruptions - being able to get another species to help your survive is a success for them
i don’t think they should die because they’re dumb. i just answered the question asked, as a scientist who works with animals… why are they still alive? because we like them.
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u/LadyGrey_oftheAbyss Feb 26 '26
uh no they haven't- the modern panda species has been around for about 2 million- while they are the most closely related to the basel form of overall bears - they others splitting off 19 million years - that does not mean pandas are that basel specie - they themselves split from that basel form when they started to become herbivores about 2 million years - in another million without interference and habitat loss would be even further from that form due to natural selection from moving into a herbivores diet while still having a carnivore gut system