Why DO pandas eat bamboo?

Instructional guide

This unit is designed to help students develop a working knowledge of animal GI tracts and to also develop a scientific approach to questions.

Intended grade level

This is designed for high school students wanting to pursue extra challenges

Student learning objectives

• Define “gut microbiome”
• Explain foregut and hindgut fermentation and how this would help pandas
  • Uses horses, rabbits and cattle as examples
• Discuss how evolutionary forces might lead to a mismatch in diet and microbiome
• Practice identifying what background information is needed
• Research attempts to alter gut microbiome in other species
• Practice developing scientific proposals

Lesson Format

student lesson page

This lesson is designed as a research project. Students should work in small groups to indentify learning needs (what do they need to know to tackle this problem), do research to answer their learning needs, develop theories on evolutionary forces, do more research to develop possible solutions, and design a research plan to “fix” the panda.

Students will need 2-3 hours to explore the problem and another 2-3 hours to develop and polish a plan

Lesson Background

Pandas are obligate herbivores, eating only bamboo. Most herbivores use microbes to digest the grasses and hays; they do not produce the cellulase-type enzymes themselves.  These animals have “fermentation vats” that house the microbes in the appropriate environment. Pandas do not have this and are trying to be herbivores without the appropriate microbes. Researches are still unsure why this is, but we are tasking the students to try to come up with their own ideas as to why.

Activities

Students while formulating their research plan will answer step-by-step questions to keep them on track during their research, and adding some structure to their research.

Common misconceptions and challenge points

• It is hard to identify what you do and don’t know and how to start

Potential research avenues if students need direction:

• While cattle are ruminants, calves are not. They have to develop their rumen and its related microbiome.
• Horses can digest grasses but do not have a dedicated structure like a rumen. Instead, they have modified their colon to allow microbial fermentation. We can surgically remove most of the colon and they can adapt
• Rabbits eat their “night feces” to re-ingest the microbial products that would otherwise be lost
• Antibiotics can destroy any animals microbiome and it can be replaced at least partially using probiotics and fecal transplants
• Plants can be genetically modified

Assessment

We suggest having the students present their theories to other students. If more than one group is working on this problem, groups could also compare their theories and vote on the one they would fund.

Further Exploration

Look to other chapters within this book for more information on similar topics:

Multiple GI Tracts? Jeez!

Hindguts vs. Rumens: Digestive Systems at the Zoo!