"Family Tree" to Help Save Giant Pandas: Report

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, December 11, 2001

"Family Tree" to Help Save Giant Pandas: Report

Chinese and U.S. experts have decided to make a genealogical tree for about 100 giant pandas in captivity in China for the purpose of saving the endangered species.

Chinese and U.S. experts have decided to make a genealogical tree for about 100 giant pandas in captivity in China for the purpose of saving the endangered species.

Experts from the two countries have, using mini-satellite heredity technology, conducted paternity tests on all the country's giant pandas in captivity, according to Tuesday's Beijing Morning Post.

Currently, the genotype of more than 90 giant pandas has been identified, the paper says. According to the paper, eight giant pandas artificially-bred byChinese scientists have survived this year, lower than the 12 and 18 giant pandas which survived in 1999 and 2000, respectively.

Experts hope that the "family tree" can help avoid inbreeding of giant pandas and curb the decline of the rare creatures.

China has about 1,000 giant pandas in the wild, most of them living in west China.

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