Trying to explain why zebras have stripes or why pandas are black and white can be a difficult task.
But this task serves as the base for questions for biologists as they try to figure out the reasons behind an animal’s coloration, how those colors developed and their functions.
A team of biologists that included Cal State Long Beach biology professor Theodore Stankowich, graduate student Hannah Walker and two other CSULB students, discovered these answers for why panda bears are black and white. This team is the same group of scientists who discovered why zebras have black and white stripes – to repel flies.
Stankowich and his collaborator, UC Davis professor of wildlife biology Tim Caro, have an interest in mammal coloration, particularly why some animals have a unique pattern and why some don’t. For a majority of mammals specific coloration is used as camouflage and communication mechanisms for other mammals, according to the new report.
He says pandas were the “next logical step” for Stankowich and his team.
“There aren’t a lot of species out there that have really unique patterns like this and the question of why pandas are black and white and how this unique pattern has been around for hundreds of years makes it a difficult question to answer,” Stankowich said.
In a new study published in Behavioral Ecology journal earlier this month, the team figured out why pandas are the only bear and one of the only carnivores with a distinct color pattern.
They ran into problems when it came to finding a starting point. They looked at different types of coloration of different species of carnivores and then compared it and centered it around the panda. Walker spent time searching for photographs of carnivores and the team used that data to make conclusions, according to Stankowich.
They asked questions regarding what factors or influences may lead to pandas having dark limbs and dark ears and eyes, but a lighter body and face.
“We took it piece by piece. What sort of factors influence these traits? This involved a lot of different analysis, a lot of different hypotheses and questions,” Stankowich explained. “We put the puzzle back together in the end. Here’s what’s going on with the legs, here’s what’s going on with the bodies and we used those results to explain why pandas are black and white.”
According to the report, the panda’s one-of-a-kind pattern is used to blend in within their various environments such as forests or snow. The dark areas on the panda’s eyes and ears are recognition signs for other pandas. Stankowich also explained that other carnivores have similar functions based on their coloration, so other animals or predators know if a certain animal is aggressive or friendly.
What makes the group want to take on questions about the animal’s colors is the awareness of who the black and white bear is.
“Everyone knows what the panda is and what the zebra is because they’re so unusual and charismatic and, in a lot of cases, cute,” Stankowich said. “The panda is a really cute animal so the fact that it appeals to people makes the question why it has this coloration in the first place appeal to us as scientists. We’re looking for that one unique story that explains a unique coloration.”