Dwarf Panda
Not to be confused with Ailuropoda microta.
| Dwarf Panda Temporal range: Pleistocene | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Ursidae |
| Genus: | Ailuropoda |
| Species: | A. minor |
| Binomial name | |
| Ailuropoda minor Pei, 1962 | |
The Dwarf Panda (Ailuropoda minor) is an extinct panda species. It was half the size of the modern Giant Panda, being about three feet in length as opposed to the Giant Panda, which averages five feet fully grown. The size of the Dwarf Panda was unknown until 2007 when a skull was discovered in China. Like its modern counterpart, it lived on bamboo shoots, as indicated by wear patterns recorded on teeth and specialised muscle markings, indicating heavy chewing, on the skull.[1]
References
- ↑ Giant panda had dwarf ancestors. The Financial Express. Accessed 2008-08-03
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Wikispecies has information related to: Ailuropoda minor |