Despite growing to 70 to 100 kilograms, giant pandas typically weigh 100 grams at birth, which is very very light compared to when they grow up. Human babies are much heavier, weighing 3.4 kg at birth on average. With this in mind, why are giant pandas born so tiny? This unusual size difference between adult and baby pandas had left scientists puzzled for years.
With a few exceptions among animals such as echidnas and kangaroos, no other mammal newborns are so tiny relative to their mothers. No one knows why, but a Duke University study of bones across 10 species of bears and other animals finds that some of the current theories don't hold up.
More about this study over at ScienceDaily.
(Image Credit: Cimberley/ Pixabay)