Bamboo is a matter of taste for pandas

Pandas may be vegetarian for the simple reason that they cannot taste meat, according to scientists.

Genome mapping showing why they may prefer a bamboo-based diet could also unlock secrets to ensuring the survival of the endangered species.

The findings published in Nature magazine come from a study led by the Beijing Genomics Institute's branch in Shenzhen in southern China on a three-year-old female panda.

It found that pandas probably roamed the earth as far back as three million years ago, with a genetic makeup that evolves slower than that of humans and other mammals.

Mutations in certain sequences of the giant panda's taste gene, which can affect the ability to experience savoury flavours such as meat and other high-protein foods, may have turned them onto a strict bamboo diet, the study said.

Further findings from the panda, named after the Beijing Olympics mascot Jingjing, suggested the decline in the giant panda population was not caused by inbreeding, because her DNA in various cells differed in many places.

Jingjing's genome map showed that pandas have a similar genetic makeup to dogs and are a subspecies of Ursidae, the bear family, confirming results found in studies from late last year and earlier this year.