Ailuropoda melanoleuca (Giant Panda)

The giant panda, Ailuropoda melanoleuca, is a flagship and umbrella species for global biodiversity conservation. As one of the oldest existent species, the evolutionary history of the giant panda can be traced back to 7–8 million years ago. This species has evolved unique morphological and physiological phenotypes to adapt to the changing environment. A complete genome assembly and gene set annotation are important to reveal the genetic mechanisms of how it evolved. The genome-wide genetic diversity of the giant panda is higher than other endangered species, and two population expansions and two population bottlenecks (i.e., severe population decline) have been identified during its evolution. Future work to study chromosome evolution among Carnivora (see below) and structural variations in the population will provide more novel insights for the adaptive evolution of giant pandas.