Abstract
Modern feces samples of the endangered red panda (Ailurus fulgens) were examined using multiproxy analysis to characterize the dietary patterns in their natural habitat in India. An abundance of Bambusoideae phytoliths and leaves (macrobotanical remains) provide direct evidence of their primary dietary plants. In contrast, Bambusoideae pollen is sporadic or absent in the pollen assemblages. An abundance of Lepisorus spores and its leaves along with broadleaved taxa, Betula, Engelhardtia, and Quercus are indicative of other important food sources. Average δ13C values (− 29.6‰) of the red panda feces indicate typical C3 type of plants as the primary food source, while the, δ15N values vary in narrow range (3.3–5.1‰) but conspicuously reveal a seasonal difference in values most likely due to differing metabolic activities in summer and winter. The multiproxy data can provide a baseline for the reconstruction of the palaeodietary and palaeoecology of extinct herbivores at both regional and global scales.
Highlights
Modern feces samples of the endangered red panda (Ailurus fulgens) were examined using multiproxy analysis to characterize the dietary patterns in their natural habitat in India
Bamboo leaves are predominant in the feces showing an average value of 85%, followed by ferns (15%) in summer and 87%, followed by ferns (13%), in winter samples respectively (Supplementary Fig. 2) indicating essentially no seasonal change in the relative importance of these plants in its diet
Our findings revealed a good agreement with the earlier research work pertinent to the red panda diet, where it has been reported that red panda is primarily dependent on bamboo for their survival, though it consumes other secondary plants growing in their habitat areas[28,29,30]
Summary
Modern feces samples of the endangered red panda (Ailurus fulgens) were examined using multiproxy analysis to characterize the dietary patterns in their natural habitat in India. Ongoing anthropogenic warming has resulted in global climate change which has threatened key wildlife species such as the red panda as well as endangering its habitat. The detailed examination of an animal’s dung, especially the analysis of herbivore dung is one of the best sources to understand their dietary requirement and habitat preference in relation to existing vegetation and climate of a region. Fossil dung (coprolite) may serve as a critical source of information for the palaeodietary analysis of extinct species and help to understand the palaeoecology of the r egion[11,12]. The palaeodietary reconstruction for an extinct species can provide an idea of how it responded to climate and environmental changes prior to human activity and for extant species how changes in their past habitat influenced their current distribution[14]
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