Pandas Have More Babies if They Can Pick Their Mates
The discovery may boost efforts to breed captive pandas, which are matched by their genetic compatibility, a new study says.
Even a one-sided romance has better odds of producing a baby than a mutually indifferent union.
The finding could provide a significant boost for the endangered species, many of which are lacking in the amorous arts.
Exhibit A are Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, the female and male pandas at Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, D.C. All three of their cubs were conceived via artificial insemination after their parents couldn’t seal the deal the old-fashioned way. (Related: "These Newborn Pandas Face 4 Big Threats to Survival.")
Such unsatisfying arranged marriages are all too common for pandas, whose total population is roughly 2,000. About 300 live in human-run facilities, some of which are breeding the rare animals in the hopes of eventually
