Overview

• Researchers have discovered a 25-base pair deletion in the Bace2 gene responsible for the brown coat color in giant pandas.
• The mutation was identified through genome sequencing of the only brown panda in captivity and comparison with black and white pandas.
• This genetic discovery challenges the conventional belief that giant pandas can only have black-and-white coats.
• The mutation is considered to be neutral or weakly deleterious, not negatively impacting the pandas' fitness.
• The findings provide valuable insights for the scientific breeding and conservation of the rare brown pandas.