The document discusses the history of giant pandas in the United States. It begins with China gifting two pandas, Ling Ling and Hsing Hsing, to the US in 1972. In 1983, Ling Ling gave birth to the first baby panda born in the US, weighing just 0.2 lbs. The cub died after 3 hours. Skin samples were taken from the cub and potential fathers, Ling Ling and Chia Chia, to determine paternity using protein gel electrophoresis. This led to solving a 150-year debate about whether pandas are bears or raccoons, concluding they are closer relatives of bears based on analysis of proteins, mitochondrial DNA, and chromosomes.

1. The Panda’s Roots
Dr Karobi Moitra
Clare Boothe Luce Professor of Molecular Biology
Assistant Professor (Tenure-Track)
Trinity Washington University http://cache.io9.com/assets/images/8/2010/12/090116_panda.jpg
Washington DC

2. The story begins here in Washington DC in 1972…..
The People’s Republic of China made a gift to the people
of the USA- 2 giant Panda’s: Ling Ling and Hsing Hsing
Over a million visitors came to see the pair in 1972
http://newshour.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/2012/09/27/Hsing_Hsing_l_and_Ling_Ling_r_-_Jessie_Cohen_Smithsonians_Nat_Zoo_slideshow.JPG

3. Throughout the 70’s every American hoped for a baby
panda, however, sadly that was not to be……
http://images.china.cn/attachement/jpg/site1007/20090105/000cf1bdd03f0acbbdac1c.jpg

4. Until July 21st 1983…………
On this historic day Ling Ling gave birth to the first baby
giant panda born in the USA
It was a tiny, hairless mouse-like infant, weighing ????
Can you guess how much the baby panda weighed?
(Adult panda’s weigh 220-250lbs/100-113 kg)
http://www.bluechannel24.com/?p=14428

5. Ling Ling’s infant weighed a minute 0.2lbs (134g)……
Sadly the cub only lived for 3 hours, it died of a
Pseudomonas bacterial infection acquired in the mothers
birth canal
http://www.bluechannel24.com/?p=14428

6. The case for paternity……….
Hsing Hsing was Ling Lings mate but Chia Chia
another male panda could also be the father
Who was the father of Ling Ling’s cub?

7. Can you figure out how the paternity of Ling Lings
cub was determined?
Hint: it involves proteins
http://www.globalsherpa.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/cute-giant-panda-eating-bamboo-leaves1.jpg

8. Snippets of skin were taken from the dead cub and it’s
prospective parents
300 proteins were tested by O’Brien’s group from the
panda’s skin cells using protein gel electrophoresis

10. SDS-PAGE
(not actual Panda protein)
http://www.personal.psu.edu/jms5704/blogs/simmons/1476-7961-4-12-1.jpg

11. So who was the cub’s father?
Chia Chia or Hsing Hsing?
We will find out when we run a gel simulation

12. Solving a 150 year old Evolutionary Puzzle…..
This involvement with the Panda paternity testing
lead Steve O’Brien and his group to ponder upon
this age-old question
http://www.globalsherpa.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/cute-giant-panda-eating-bamboo-leaves1.jpg

13. Is the Giant Panda a bear or a Racoon?
• Ursidae or Procyonidae?
• Pere Armand David, 1869- bear
• Alphonse Milne-Edwards (Paris Museum of Natural
History) examined pelts, skeleton and teeth- giant
raccoon
• Middle of the road group placed the giant panda and
the red panda together in Ailuridae

14. And the controversy continued for 150 years or so
……until 1985
http://www.globalsherpa.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/cute-giant-panda-eating-bamboo-leaves1.jpg

15. How was the ancestry of the giant panda solved?

16. The Molecular Biology Toolkit:
1. Protein analysis: Were allozymes (proteins) in Panda similar to
bears or racoon?
2. Mitochondrial DNA sequence analysis
Were mitDNA sequences in Panda similar to bears or racoons?
3. Organization of chromosomes
Were chromosomes in the panda derived from bears or racoons?

17. Construction of a Phylogenetic Tree
http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/s2007/barger_rach/

18. Conclusion:
Giant Panda’s are closer relatives of the
bear family (Ursidae)than of the racoon
family (Procyonidae)!
http://newshour.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/2012/09/27/Hsing_Hsing_l_and_Li
ng_Ling_r_-_Jessie_Cohen_Smithsonians_Nat_Zoo_slideshow.JPG

19. Reference:
Tears of the Cheetah by Stephen J O’Brien