Female giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) chirps advertise the caller's fertile phase

Although female mammal vocal behaviour is known to advertise fertility, to date, no non-human mammal study has shown that the acoustic structure of female calls varies significantly around their fertile period. Here, we used a combination of hormone measurements and acoustic analyses to determine whether female giant panda chirps have the potential to signal the caller''s precise oestrous stage (fertile versus pre-fertile). We then used playback experiments to examine the response of male giant pandas to female chirps produced during fertile versus pre-fertile phases of the caller''s reproductive cycle. Our results show that the acoustic structure of female giant panda chirps differs between fertile and pre-fertile callers and that male giant pandas can perceive differences in female chirps that allow them to determine the exact timing of the female''s fertile phase. These findings indicate that male giant pandas could use vocal cues to preferentially associate and copulate with females at the optimum time for insemination and reveal the likely importance of female vocal signals for coordinating reproductive efforts in this critically endangered species.     

Vocal discrimination of potential mates by female giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca)

In the current study, we used male giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) bleats in a habituation–discrimination paradigm to determine whether females discriminate between the vocalizations of different males. We found that females habituated to the bleats of a specific male showed a significant dishabituation when they were presented with bleats from a novel male. Further playbacks, in which we standardized the mean fundamental frequency (pitch) and amplitude modulation of male bleats, indicated that amplitude modulation is the key feature that females attend to when discriminating between male callers. Our results show that female giant pandas can discriminate between the vocalizations of potential mates and provide a platform for further studies investigating the functional role of caller identity in giant panda sexual communication.     

Acoustic Features Indicate Arousal in Infant Giant Panda Vocalisations

Infant giant pandas are highly vocal during the first few weeks of life, producing vocalisations that are characterised by noisy, aperiodic segments. The aperiodic character of many animal vocalisations results from irregular vibratory regimes of the vocal folds, and one proposed function of this so‐called nonlinear phenomena (NLP) in animal vocalisations is to convey information about the caller's arousal state. This hypothesis was tested in the vocalisations of six hand‐reared giant panda cubs recorded during handling and feeding procedures that had been categorised into low‐ and high‐arousal contexts based on quantified motor activity. Ninety‐three per cent of the vocalisations contained NLP, including deterministic chaos and subharmonics. Vocalisations produced in the high‐arousal contexts, however, were characterised by an increase in chaos, as well as increased call duration and fundamental frequency (pitch). These results suggest that infant giant panda vocal signals have the potential to express different arousal states. Furthermore, because giant panda cubs are the smallest placental mammal offspring at birth compared with adult size, acoustically conveying arousal state to the mother might be crucial for infant survival under natural rearing conditions.     

Evaluating Landscape Options for Corridor Restoration between Giant Panda Reserves

The establishment of corridors can offset the negative effects of habitat fragmentation by connecting isolated habitat patches. However, the practical value of corridor planning is minimal if corridor identification is not based on reliable quantitative information about species-environment relationships. An example of this need for quantitative information is planning for giant panda conservation. Although the species has been the focus of intense conservation efforts for decades, most corridor projects remain hypothetical due to the lack of reliable quantitative researches at an appropriate spatial scale. In this paper, we evaluated a framework for giant panda forest corridor planning. We linked our field survey data with satellite imagery, and conducted species occupancy modelling to examine the habitat use of giant panda within the potential corridor area. We then conducted least-cost and circuit models to identify potential paths of dispersal across the landscape, and compared the predicted cost under current conditions and alternative conservation management options considered during corridor planning. We found that due to giant panda''s association with areas of low elevation and flat terrain, human infrastructures in the same area have resulted in corridor fragmentation. We then identified areas with high potential to function as movement corridors, and our analysis of alternative conservation scenarios showed that both forest/bamboo restoration and automobile tunnel construction would significantly improve the effectiveness of corridor, while residence relocation would not significantly improve corridor effectiveness in comparison with the current condition. The framework has general value in any conservation activities that anticipate improving habitat connectivity in human modified landscapes. Specifically, our study suggested that, in this landscape, automobile tunnels are the best means to remove current barriers to giant panda movements caused by anthropogenic interferences.     

雄性大熊猫尿中睾酮和皮质醇代谢物水平及其与繁殖、笼养和季节的关系

收集了雄性大熊猫尿样肾上腺皮质激素和雄性激素代谢物年周期变化基础数据。二月份雄性激素水平最高,与繁殖季节的开始相关。繁殖成功与雄性激素水平无相关,与不同的笼养环境也无相关。与其他熊类物种相比,大熊猫交配和雄性激素水平峰值在一年中的较早时候出现。在大熊猫这样一个多配制物种,这个峰值可以看作与挑战假说相关联。在冬季,肾上腺皮质激素水平逐月升高,12月份出现峰值。在繁殖季节来临前,肾上腺皮质激素可能扮演了一个预备的角色。     

Why Does the Giant Panda Eat Bamboo? A Comparative Analysis of Appetite-Reward-Related Genes among Mammals

Background

The giant panda has an interesting bamboo diet unlike the other species in the order of Carnivora. The umami taste receptor gene T1R1 has been identified as a pseudogene during its genome sequencing project and confirmed using a different giant panda sample. The estimated mutation time for this gene is about 4.2 Myr. Such mutation coincided with the giant panda''s dietary change and also reinforced its herbivorous life style. However, as this gene is preserved in herbivores such as cow and horse, we need to look for other reasons behind the giant panda''s diet switch.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Since taste is part of the reward properties of food related to its energy and nutrition contents, we did a systematic analysis on those genes involved in the appetite-reward system for the giant panda. We extracted the giant panda sequence information for those genes and compared with the human sequence first and then with seven other species including chimpanzee, mouse, rat, dog, cat, horse, and cow. Orthologs in panda were further analyzed based on the coding region, Kozak consensus sequence, and potential microRNA binding of those genes.

Conclusions/Significance

Our results revealed an interesting dopamine metabolic involvement in the panda''s food choice. This finding suggests a new direction for molecular evolution studies behind the panda''s dietary switch.     

Remains of Holocene giant pandas from Jiangdong Mountain (Yunnan,China) and their relevance to the evolution of quaternary environments in south-western China

Two subfossil partial skeletons of male giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) were recovered, along with remains of 16 other mammalian species, from a natural sinkhole on Jiangdong Mountain (south-western Yunnan, China). The panda and other mammalian bones from the sinkhole's upper chamber yielded tightly clustered accelerator mass spectrometry corrected radiocarbon ages of 8470–8250 yr BP, and the panda remains from the lower chamber were found to be 5025 ± 35 yr BP. The bones represent a natural accumulation of mostly large mammals (>30 kg), which had fallen accidentally into the sinkhole. The Jiangdong Mountain mammal assemblage comprises mostly obligate forest-dwellers such as the giant panda, Asian elephant and Sumatran rhinoceros, but the presence of the horse and gaur suggests a more open woodland habitat. Giant pandas were distributed widely in southern China during the Pleistocene, but are now restricted to dense stands of bamboo within temperate forests surrounding the Sichuan Basin. The evidence from Jiangdong Mountain indicates that suitable habitat for pandas extended west of the Salween River through the mid-Holocene. Rapid deforestation of the area in historical times is suggested by an accumulation of cave fill below the opening of the sinkhole containing pieces of an early to middle Ming Dynasty bowl.     

Cues to Androgens and Quality in Male Gibbon Songs

Animal vocal signals may provide information about senders and mediate important social interactions like sexual competition, territory maintenance and mate selection. Hence, it is important to understand whether vocal signals provide accurate information about animal attributes or status. Gibbons are non-human primates that produce loud, distinctive and melodious vocalizations resembling more those of birds than of other non-human primates. Wild gibbons are characterized by flexibility in social organization (i.e., pairs and multimale units) as well as in mating system (i.e., monogamy and polyandry). Such features make them a suitable model to investigate whether the physiology (hormonal status) and socio-demographic features find their correspondence in the structure of their songs. By combining male solo song recordings, endocrine outputs using non-invasive fecal androgen measures and behavioral observations, we studied 14 groups (10 pair-living, 4 multimale) of wild white-handed gibbons (Hylobates lar) residing at Khao Yai National Park, Thailand. We collected a total of 322 fecal samples and recorded 48 songs from 18 adult animals. Our results confirmed inter-individuality in male gibbon songs, and showed a clear correlation between androgen levels and song structures. Gibbons with higher androgen levels produced calls having higher pitch, and similarly adult individuals produced longer calls than senior males. Thus, it is plausible that gibbon vocalizations provide receivers with information about singers'' attributes.     

大熊猫、小熊猫和黑熊血红蛋白的组份分离、结晶及氨基酸组成分析

 聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳和羧甲基纤维素柱层析都表明大熊猫(Ailuropodmelanoleuca)、小熊猫(Ailurus fulgens)和黑熊(Selenarctos thibetanus)的血红蛋白各有两个组份。在近似的条件下得到了它们的晶体。三种动物血红蛋白的氨基酸组成相似,而且N-末端氨基酸都是Val。有待进一步测定全部氨基酸顺序,以揭示它们之间的异同和亲缘关系。     

气候变化对邛崃山系大熊猫主食竹和栖息地分布的影响

气候变化对生物多样性的影响,特别是珍稀濒危物种的影响是当前的研究热点。全球气候变化对大熊猫的影响一直受到广泛关注。根据野外调查的大熊猫活动痕迹点、竹类分布点和主食竹扩散距离数据,采用Maxent模型,利用植被、地形、气候等因素,在RCP8.5下分析了2050年和2070年邛崃山系大熊猫主食竹分布及栖息地变化趋势。结果显示:(1)未来大熊猫适宜生境及主食竹气候适宜区面积均有所减少,到2070年分别减少37.2%和4.7%;(2)未来主食竹分布范围总体向高海拔扩展,但面积持续减少,到2070年分布面积比当前减少8.3%;(3)大熊猫栖息地未来有向高海拔扩张的趋势,在低海拔地区退缩明显,到2070年较当前减少27.2%;但到2070年大熊猫栖息地面积加上非栖息地有主食竹分布的面积,较现有大熊猫栖息地面积大1.5%;(4)受气候变化影响较严重的区域是邛崃山系南部以及低海拔地区,其余区域所受影响相对较小;(5)未来需要加强对受气候变化影响严重区域的监测与保护,特别是邛崃山系中部的大熊猫集中分布区。     

Impact of road construction on giant panda’s habitat and its carrying capacity in Qinling Mountains

The Qinling giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is an endangered endemic species to China. Despite ongoing efforts to ensure its conservation, concerns about maintaining its populations persist. We used GIS fed with data on land use including road network of 2001, third national giant panda survey, and a digital elevation model (DEM) to assess the impact of road construction on giant panda habitat, and estimate the carrying capacity of the Qinling Mountain area. We assessed habitat suitability with a mechanistic model, and conducted correlation analysis to evaluate relationship between the extent of giant panda habitat and amount of sites occupied by pandas within of 5 km × 5 km grid. We also estimated the carrying capacity of the Qinling Mountainous Area.
Our results revealed a significant correlation (R² = 0.447, P < 0.01) between the number of sites with signs left by giant panda and the extent of habitat within of 5 km × 5 km grid. The minimum habitat area that can support one panda was 10 km². Before the road network construction, the area of habitat suitable for the panda amounted about 1561 km² and that of marginally suitable habitat about 1499 km². The corresponding carrying capacity represented about 240 individuals. After the road network construction, the suitable habitat area was reduced by nearly 30% to 1093 km². Marginally suitable habitat and unsuitable habitat have both increased by 17% and 1%, respectively. As a result, the potential population size which the habitat could support was reduced to 217 individuals. The study results also suggested that most impacts on habitat from road construction took place in the high elevation areas above 1500 m. However, regarding the impact on the giant panda habitat, road networks developed much more inside the current nature reserves than outside of them.     

Impact of road construction on giant panda’s habitat and its carrying capacity in Qinling Mountains

The Qinling giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is an endangered endemic species to China. Despite ongoing efforts to ensure its conservation, concerns about maintaining its populations persist. We used GIS fed with data on land use including road network of 2001, third national giant panda survey, and a digital elevation model (DEM) to assess the impact of road construction on giant panda habitat, and estimate the carrying capacity of the Qinling Mountain area. We assessed habitat suitability with a mechanistic model, and conducted correlation analysis to evaluate relationship between the extent of giant panda habitat and amount of sites occupied by pandas within of 5 km × 5 km grid. We also estimated the carrying capacity of the Qinling Mountainous Area.
Our results revealed a significant correlation (R² = 0.447, P < 0.01) between the number of sites with signs left by giant panda and the extent of habitat within of 5 km × 5 km grid. The minimum habitat area that can support one panda was 10 km². Before the road network construction, the area of habitat suitable for the panda amounted about 1561 km² and that of marginally suitable habitat about 1499 km². The corresponding carrying capacity represented about 240 individuals. After the road network construction, the suitable habitat area was reduced by nearly 30% to 1093 km². Marginally suitable habitat and unsuitable habitat have both increased by 17% and 1%, respectively. As a result, the potential population size which the habitat could support was reduced to 217 individuals. The study results also suggested that most impacts on habitat from road construction took place in the high elevation areas above 1500 m. However, regarding the impact on the giant panda habitat, road networks developed much more inside the current nature reserves than outside of them.     

Protracted reproductive seasonality in the male giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) reflected by patterns in androgen profiles, ejaculate characteristics, and selected behaviors

The female giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) experiences a brief (24-72 h) seasonal estrus, occurring once annually in spring (February-May). Our aim was to determine the existence and temporal profile of reproductive seasonality in the male of this species. The study was facilitated by 3 yr of access to eight giant panda males living in a large breeding center in China. Seasonal periods for the male were defined on the basis of female reproductive activity as prebreeding, breeding (early, peak, late), and nonbreeding seasons. Testes size, fecal androgen excretion, ejaculated sperm density, and frequency of reproductive behaviors (i.e., locomotion, scent marking, vocalizations) increased (P < 0.05) from the prebreeding period (October 1-January 31) to the early breeding season (February 1-March 21). Testes volume and sperm concentration were maximal from March 22 through April 15, a period coinciding with maximal female breeding activity. The occurrence of male reproductive behaviors and fecal androgen concentrations began declining during peak breeding and continued from April 16 through May 31 (late breeding period), returning to nadir throughout the nonbreeding interval (June 1-September 30). Reproductive quiescence throughout the latter period was associated with basal testes size/volume and aspermic ejaculates. Our results reveal that testes morphometry, fecal androgen excretion, seminal quality, and certain behaviors integrated together clearly demonstrate reproductive seasonality in the male giant panda. The coordinated increases in testes size, androgen production, sperm density, and sexual behaviors occur over a protracted interval, likely to prepare for and then accommodate a brief, unpredictable female estrus.     

大熊猫肠道放线菌的种群组成及多样性分析

【目的】探究不同年龄、不同性别大熊猫肠道放线菌的多样性及群落结构,为寻找潜在产生活性化合物的放线菌资源提供理论依据。【方法】采用PCR-DGGE技术对大熊猫肠道放线菌进行分析,对电泳结果进行UPGMA聚类分析、主成分分析、生物多样性等多重比较。【结果】变性梯度凝胶电泳(DGGE)图谱显示,不同大熊猫肠道中放线菌的多样性及群落结构存在明显差异。随着年龄的增长,雌性大熊猫肠道中放线菌的多样性指数(H')和丰富度(S)逐渐减少,而雄性大熊猫肠道内放线菌的多样性指数(H')和丰富度(S)逐渐增多。不同个体的大熊猫肠道放线菌的群落结构存在明显差异,但相同性别之间的相似性很高。DGGE条带回收测序结果表明,获得的28条序列归属于10个放线菌属,其中链霉菌属(Streptomyces)为优势菌属,占总数的46%;北里孢菌属(Kitasatospora)、红球菌属(Rhodococcus)、棒杆菌属(Corynebacterium)、迪茨氏菌属(Dietziaceae)、大理石雕菌属(Marmoricola)、布登堡菌属(Beutenbergia)、微杆菌属(Microbacterium)、链嗜酸菌属(Streptacidiphilus)和芽生球菌属(Blastococcus)等为非链霉菌属,占总数的54%。【结论】大熊猫肠道内蕴藏着丰富的放线菌资源,其肠道菌群的结构与组成受年龄和性别的影响。     

Important population viability analysis parameters for giant pandas (Aliuropoda melanoleuca)

Population viability analysis(PVA) is a tool to evaluate the risk of extinction for endangered species and aid conservation decision-making.The quality of PVA output is dependent on parameters related to population dynamics and life-history;however,it has been difficult to collect this information for the giant panda(Aliuropoda melanoleuca),a rare and endangered mammal native to China,confined to some 30 fragmented habitat patches.Since giant pandas are long-lived,mature late,have lower reproductive rates,and show little sexual dimorphism,obtaining data to perform adequate PVA has been difficult.Here,we develop a parameter sensitivity index by modeling the dynamics of six giant panda populations in the Minshan Mountains,in order to determine the parameters most influential to giant panda populations.Our data shows that the giant panda populations are most sensitive to changes in four female parameters:initial breeding age,reproductive rate,mortality rate between age 0 and 1,and mortality rate of adults.The parameter sensitivity index strongly correlated with initial population size,as smaller populations were more sensitive to changes in these four variables.This model suggests that demographic parameters of females have more influence on the results of PVA,indicating that females may play a more important role in giant panda population dynamics than males.Consequently,reintroduction of female individuals to a small giant panda population should be a high priority for conservation efforts.Our findings form a technical basis for the coming program of giant panda reintroduction,and inform which parameters are crucial to successfully and feasibly monitoring wild giant panda populations.     

Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) Buccal Mucosa Tissue as a Source of Multipotent Progenitor Cells

Since the first mammal was cloned, the idea of using this technique to help endangered species has aroused considerable interest. However, several issues limit this possibility, including the relatively low success rate at every stage of the cloning process, and the dearth of usable tissues from these rare animals. iPS cells have been produced from cells from a number of rare mammalian species and this is the method of choice for strategies to improve cloning efficiency and create new gametes by directed differentiation. Nevertheless information about other stem cell/progenitor capabilities of cells from endangered species could prove important for future conservation approaches and adds to the knowledge base about cellular material that can be extremely limited. Multipotent progenitor cells, termed skin-derived precursor (SKP) cells, can be isolated directly from mammalian skin dermis, and human cheek tissue has also been shown to be a good source of SKP-like cells. Recently we showed that structures identical to SKPs termed m-SKPs could be obtained from monolayer/ two dimensional (2D) skin fibroblast cultures. Here we aimed to isolate m-SKPs from cultured cells of three endangered species; giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca); red panda (Ailurus fulgens); and Asiatic lion (Panthera leo persica). m-SKP-like spheres were formed from the giant panda buccal mucosa fibroblasts; whereas dermal fibroblast (DF) cells cultured from abdominal skin of the other two species were unable to generate spheres. Under specific differentiation culture conditions giant panda spheres expressed neural, Schwann, adipogenic and osteogenic cell markers. Furthermore, these buccal mucosa derived spheres were shown to maintain expression of SKP markers: nestin, versican, fibronectin, and P75 and switch on expression of the stem cell marker ABCG2. These results demonstrate that giant panda cheek skin can be a useful source of m-SKP multipotent progenitors. At present lack of sample numbers means that we can only postulate why we were unable to obtain m-SKPs from the lion and red panda cultures. However the giant panda observations point to the value of archiving cells from rare species, and the possibilities for later progenitor cell derivation.     

大熊猫母兽可根据幼仔的尖叫声辨别自己的后代

研究表明,群居哺乳动物具备通过叫声进行母幼识别的机制,而有关独栖动物的母幼识别机制鲜有研究。大熊猫(Ailuropoda melanoleuca)是典型的独栖动物,原始森林是保持野生大熊猫种群数量可持续发展的必要条件,其中的大型古树提供的育幼巢穴对大熊猫幼仔的存活至关重要。但是,近年来大型古树因受人为干扰而急剧减少,致使野生成年雌性大熊猫活动领域的重叠增大,在育幼期产仔大熊猫母兽对育幼巢穴的利用产生了竞争。大熊猫幼仔的体重约为成年大熊猫的0.1%,幼仔需要母兽高度关怀才能存活和成长。叫声是0-45日龄大熊猫幼仔向其母兽传递生理需求或所处状态的主要方式。然而,母兽能否根据幼仔的叫声识别自己的后代,目前尚无定论。本研究以274条大熊猫幼仔的尖叫声为例,首先对其进行个体独特性分析,然后通过叫声回放以及母兽对所回放的两种叫声的行为反应,验证大熊猫母兽能否辨别出其亲生幼仔。结果发现,尖叫声的17个声学参数中有14个具有潜在的个体判别能力(PIC>1);进一步的判别分析结果显示,基于这17个声学参数,78.5%的尖叫声被正确分配到对应的幼仔;叫声回放实验的结果显示,母兽在行为上更倾向其亲生幼...     

Exposure to Odors of Rivals Enhances Sexual Motivation in Male Giant Pandas

Males will alter their mating behavior to cope with the presence of their competitors. Even exposure to odors from potential competitors can greatly increase male ejaculate expenditure in a variety of animals including insects, fishes, birds and rodents. Major efforts have been made to examine males'' plastic responses to sperm competition and its fitness benefits. However, the effects of competitor absence on male''s sexual motivation and behaviors remain unclear, which has been proposed to be one of the causes for the poor sexual performance of some captive mammals. This study revealed that sexual motivation can be greatly enhanced in captive male giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) by exposure to chemosensory cues from either one or three conspecifics males. It had been shown that potential rivals'' odors increased males'' chemosensory investigation behavior, as well as their observing, following and sniffing behaviors towards estrous females. Behaviors changed regardless of the number of rivals (one or three). Our results demonstrate the effects of potential competition on male giant pandas'' sexual motivation and behavioral coping strategy. We anticipate that our research will provide a fresh insight into the mechanisms underlying poor sexual performance in male captive mammals, and valuable information for the practical management and ex situ conservation of endangered species.     

Profile of microRNA in Giant Panda Blood: A Resource for Immune-Related and Novel microRNAs

The giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is one of the world’s most beloved endangered mammals. Although the draft genome of this species had been assembled, little was known about the composition of its microRNAs (miRNAs) or their functional profiles. Recent studies demonstrated that changes in the expression of miRNAs are associated with immunity. In this study, miRNAs were extracted from the blood of four healthy giant pandas and sequenced by Illumina next generation sequencing technology. As determined by miRNA screening, a total of 276 conserved miRNAs and 51 novel putative miRNAs candidates were detected. After differential expression analysis, we noticed that the expressions of 7 miRNAs were significantly up-regulated in young giant pandas compared with that of adults. Moreover, 2 miRNAs were up-regulated in female giant pandas and 1 in the male individuals. Target gene prediction suggested that the miRNAs of giant panda might be relevant to the expressions of 4,602 downstream genes. Subseuqently, the predicted target genes were conducted to KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) pathway analysis and we found that these genes were mainly involved in host immunity, including the Ras signaling pathway, the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, and the MAPK signaling pathway. In conclusion, our results provide the first miRNA profiles of giant panda blood, and the predicted functional analyses may open an avenue for further study of giant panda immunity.     

Population genetics reveals high connectivity of giant panda populations across human disturbance features in key nature reserve

The giant panda is an example of a species that has faced extensive historical habitat fragmentation, and anthropogenic disturbance and is assumed to be isolated in numerous subpopulations with limited gene flow between them. To investigate the population size, health, and connectivity of pandas in a key habitat area, we noninvasively collected a total of 539 fresh wild giant panda fecal samples for DNA extraction within Wolong Nature Reserve, Sichuan, China. Seven validated tetra‐microsatellite markers were used to analyze each sample, and a total of 142 unique genotypes were identified. Nonspatial and spatial capture–recapture models estimated the population size of the reserve at 164 and 137 individuals (95% confidence intervals 153–175 and 115–163), respectively. Relatively high levels of genetic variation and low levels of inbreeding were estimated, indicating adequate genetic diversity. Surprisingly, no significant genetic boundaries were found within the population despite the national road G350 that bisects the reserve, which is also bordered with patches of development and agricultural land. We attribute this to high rates of migration, with four giant panda road‐crossing events confirmed within a year based on repeated captures of individuals. This likely means that giant panda populations within mountain ranges are better connected than previously thought. Increased development and tourism traffic in the area and throughout the current panda distribution pose a threat of increasing population isolation, however. Maintaining and restoring adequate habitat corridors for dispersal is thus a vital step for preserving the levels of gene flow seen in our analysis and the continued conservation of the giant panda meta‐population in both Wolong and throughout their current range.