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Ailuropodinae
Ailuropodinae is a subfamily of Ursidae that contains only one extant species, the giant panda (''Ailuropoda melanoleuca'') of China. The fossil record of this group has shown that various species of pandas were more widespread across the Holarctic, with species found in places such as Europe, much of Asia, North America and even Africa. The earliest pandas were not unlike other modern bear species in that they had an omnivorous diet but by around 2.4 million years ago, pandas had evolved to be more herbivorous. The giant panda (''Ailuropoda'') belongs to the order of Carnivora, this means that the macronutrients that are digested are most similar to those of carnivores than to that of herbivores even though their diet consists mainly of bamboo. Systematics Ever since the giant panda was first described to science, they have been a source of taxonomic confusion, having been variously classified as a member of Procyonidae, Ursidae, Ailuridae, or even their own family Ailuropo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ailuropodini
Ailuropodinae is a subfamily of Ursidae that contains only one extant species, the giant panda (''Ailuropoda melanoleuca'') of China. The fossil record of this group has shown that various species of pandas were more widespread across the Holarctic, with species found in places such as Europe, much of Asia, North America and even Africa. The earliest pandas were not unlike other modern bear species in that they had an omnivorous diet but by around 2.4 million years ago, pandas had evolved to be more herbivorous. The giant panda (''Ailuropoda'') belongs to the order of Carnivora, this means that the macronutrients that are digested are most similar to those of carnivores than to that of herbivores even though their diet consists mainly of bamboo. Systematics Ever since the giant panda was first described to science, they have been a source of taxonomic confusion, having been variously classified as a member of Procyonidae, Ursidae, Ailuridae, or even their own family Ailuropodida ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ursidae
Bears are carnivoran mammals of the family (biology), family Ursidae (). They are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans. Although only eight species of bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout most of the Northern Hemisphere and partially in the Southern Hemisphere. Bears are found on the continents of North America, South America, and Eurasia. Common characteristics of modern bears include large bodies with stocky legs, long snouts, small rounded ears, shaggy hair, plantigrade paws with five nonretractile claws, and short tails. While the polar bear is mostly carnivorous, and the giant panda is mostly herbivorous, the remaining six species are omnivorous with varying diets. With the exception of courtship display, courting individuals and mothers with their young, bears are typically solitary animals. They may be diurnality, diurnal or nocturnal and have an excellent sense of smell. Despite their heavy build and awk ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Huracan (mammal)
''Huracan'' is an extinct genus of agriotheriin ailuropodine from the Neogene period. Fossils were found from North America and Eastern Asia. Unlike its modern relative the giant panda (''Ailuropoda melanoleuca''), which is a bamboo specialist, ''Huracan'' was a hypercarnivorous (or omnivorous) genus of bear that had adaptations for cursoriality. History Specimens of ''Huracan'' were originally classified as species of the related genus ''Agriotherium''. Hunt (1998) had noted differences in the structure of the carnassials between ''Agriotherium schneideri'' and Old World species of said genus, but lots of similarities between ''A. schneideri'' and genus ''Indarctos''. This was further supported in the 2019 publication of ''A. hendeyi'' which led the authors of the study to do a comprehensive analysis of agriotheriin specimens to assess their taxonomy. Systematics When Jiangzuo et al. (2023) computed the phylogenetic analysis, they found ''Indarctos'' to be paraphyletic to the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Agriotheriini
Agriotheriini is an extinct tribe of ailuropodine bears from the middle Neogene to early Quaternary periods, with fossils found from Eurasia, Africa, and North America. Taxonomy The tribe Agriotheriini consists of the three (perhaps four) genera * ''Agriotherium'' * ''Huracan'' * ''Indarctos'' * '' Miomaci'' (possibly). The taxonomy of these bears has variously placed some of the genera in other bear lineages such as Hemicyoninae and Ursavinae. Recent papers support their inclusion with giant pandas as members of Ailuropodinae based on diagnostic features like * large cheek teeth * parastyle fourth premolar with an enlarged inner lobe * wide first and second molars being * high mandible, with respect to the lower tooth row. They are unlike their closest living relative, the giant panda (''Ailuropoda melanoleuca'') which evolved into a highly specialized bamboo-eater: The evolution of agriotheriins lead to the group becoming large, hypercarnivorous bears that had adaptat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Agriarctos
''Agriarctos'' is an extinct genus of panda from the Middle to Late Miocene, approximately 8-18 million years ago. This genus and its type species ''A. gaali'' was established based on fossils from Hatvan, Hungary, and ''A. vighi'' based on fossils from Rózsaszentmárton. Miklós Kretzoi proposed ''Agriarctos'' was closely related with ''Agriotherium''. Previously published, ''Ursavus depereti'' was assigned to ''Agriarctos'' by Kretzoi, but now proved to be polyphyletic A polyphyletic group is an assemblage that includes organisms with mixed evolutionary origin but does not include their most recent common ancestor. The term is often applied to groups that share similar features known as Homoplasy, homoplasies .... ''Agriarctos beatrix'' was published in 2011 as a new species of ''Agriarctos''. It was later erected as a new genus '' Kretzoiarctos'', which was named after Kretzoi. References Fossil taxa described in 1942 Miocene bears Ailuropodinae {{carnivora ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kretzoiarctos
''Kretzoiarctos'' is an extinct bear genus from the European Miocene. It consists of ''Kretzoiarctos beatrix'', an ancestor of the extant giant panda. Description ''Kretzoiarctos beatrix'' was originally described in 2011 as ''Agriarctos beatrix'', before being reclassified into a new genus. The scientific name commemorates the Hungarian geologist and paleontologist Miklós Kretzoi. ''Kretzoiarctos beatrix'' are panda-like creatures and are an ancestral group of the Ailuropodinae subfamily according to fossil records from the middle Miocene of Spain. Based on tooth structure, researchers have speculated that this species may have been a small herbivorous animal that ate very hard plants. The giant panda (''Ailuropoda melanoleuca'') has a special craniodental structure that serves as a durophagous feeding adaptation for bamboo, and a similar tooth structure was also found in ''K. beatrix'', indicating that this species may be the oldest relative of the giant panda and might h ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ailuropoda
''Ailuropoda'' is the only extant genus in the ursid (bear) subfamily Ailuropodinae. It contains one living and one or more fossil species of panda. Only one species—'' Ailuropoda melanoleuca''—currently exists; the other three species are prehistoric chronospecies. Despite its taxonomic classification as a carnivoran, the giant panda has a diet that is primarily herbivorous, which consists almost exclusively of bamboo. Giant pandas have descended from '' Ailurarctos'', which lived during the late Miocene. Etymology From Greek "cat" + "foot" (gen. sg.). Unlike most bears, giant pandas do not have round pupils, but instead have vertical slits, similar to those of cats. This has not only inspired the scientific name, but in Chinese the giant panda is called "large bear cat" (, ). Classification *†'' Ailuropoda microta'' Pei, 1962 (late Pliocene) *†'' Ailuropoda wulingshanensis'' Wang et al. 1982 (late Pliocene–early Pleistocene) *†'' Ailuropoda baconi'' (Woodwar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ailurarctos
''Ailurarctos'' ("cat bear") is an extinct genus of panda from the Late Miocene of China, some 8 million years ago. Different teeth structures in the ''Ailuropoda'' lineage indicate a mosaic evolution Mosaic evolution (or modular evolution) is the concept, mainly from palaeontology, that evolutionary change takes place in some body parts or systems without simultaneous changes in other parts. Another definition is the "evolution of characters ... during the past 2 million years. Like modern giant pandas, ''Ailurarctos'' had a false thumb that allowed it to grip bamboo, suggesting that the panda's specialized bamboo diet goes back to as early as 6 to 7 million years ago.Wang, X., Su, D.F., Jablonski, N.G. et al. ''Earliest giant panda false thumb suggests conflicting demands for locomotion and feeding''. Sci Rep 12, 10538 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-13402-y References Miocene mammals of Asia Fossil taxa described in 1989 Miocene bears Prehistoric c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Miomaci
''Miomaci'' (Latinized , abbreviation of "Miocene" + "little bear") is a genus of herbivorous ailuropodine bear from the late Miocene of Hungary. It is known only from teeth and jaws, but these indicate it was significantly smaller than its close relative ''Indarctos'', which could reach 265.74 kg. Discovery and Naming ''Miomaci'' is known from dental remains of one individual including a left maxilla with P3-M2, left upper canine, 2 left incisors, right M1, right M2, right p1, fragment of right mandible with p3-m1, left hemimandible with alveoli with p1-p4, m1 (separated), m2-m3. The material is stored in the Geological Museum of the Geological and Geophysical Institute of Hungary. The specimens are known from the Edelény Formation near the town of Rudabánya, Hungary and date to the Vallesian age of the late Miocene. The generic name is derived from 'Miocene' and Maci'', the Hungarian word for 'little bear' or 'teddy bear'. The specific name, ''pannonicum'', is Latin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Giant Panda
The giant panda (''Ailuropoda melanoleuca''), also known as the panda bear or simply panda, is a bear species endemic to China. It is characterised by its white animal coat, coat with black patches around the eyes, ears, legs and shoulders. Its body is rotund; adult individuals weigh and are typically long. It is sexually dimorphic, with males being typically 10 to 20% larger than females. A thumb is visible on its forepaw, which helps in holding bamboo in place for feeding. It has large molar teeth and expanded temporal fossa to meet its dietary requirements. It can digest starch and is mostly herbivorous with a diet consisting almost entirely of bamboo and bamboo shoots. The giant panda lives exclusively in six montane regions in a few Chinese provinces at elevations of up to . It is solitary and gathers only in mating seasons. It relies on olfactory communication to communicate and uses scent marks as chemical cues and on landmarks like rocks or trees. Females rear c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Agriotherium
''Agriotherium'' is an extinct genus of bears whose fossils are found in Miocene through Pleistocene-aged strata of North America, Eurasia, and Africa. The earliest species, ''A.'' ''aecuatorialis'' evolved during the early Late Miocene, around 11.6 Mya. The last species, ''A. africanum'', going extinct 2.58 Mya, during the late Pliocene. Description and diet ''A. africanum'' measured around in body length and weighed up to , making it larger than most living bears; however, mass estimates vary, with further studies presenting a lower mass estimate of . Along with other large bears such as the cave bear, short-faced bears ''Arctodus'' and ''Arctotherium'', and an extinct subspecies of the modern polar bear '' Ursus maritimus tyrannus'', ''Agriotherium'' was among the largest known terrestrial members of Carnivora. They had longer legs and shorter faces than other bears, and were more lightly built. Their wide, short jaws could generate enormous bite force. It is not certain h ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ailuropoda Melanoleuca
The giant panda (''Ailuropoda melanoleuca''), also known as the panda bear or simply panda, is a bear species endemic to China. It is characterised by its white coat with black patches around the eyes, ears, legs and shoulders. Its body is rotund; adult individuals weigh and are typically long. It is sexually dimorphic, with males being typically 10 to 20% larger than females. A thumb is visible on its forepaw, which helps in holding bamboo in place for feeding. It has large molar teeth and expanded temporal fossa to meet its dietary requirements. It can digest starch and is mostly herbivorous with a diet consisting almost entirely of bamboo and bamboo shoots. The giant panda lives exclusively in six montane regions in a few Chinese provinces at elevations of up to . It is solitary and gathers only in mating seasons. It relies on olfactory communication to communicate and uses scent marks as chemical cues and on landmarks like rocks or trees. Females rear cubs for an av ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
