Ailuropodinae
| Ailuropodinae Temporal range: Early Miocene–present |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Clade: | Synapsida |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Suborder: | Caniformia |
| Family: | Ursidae |
| Subfamily: |
Ailuropodinae Grevé, 1894 |
| Genera | |
|
†Indarctos |
|
†Indarctos
†Kretzoiarctos
†Agriarctos
†Ailurarctos
Ailuropoda
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 have shown that various species of pandas were more widespread across the Holarctic, with species found in places such as Europe, much of Asia and even North America. The earliest pandas were not unlike other modern bear species in that they had an omnivorous diet but by around 2.4 million years, pandas have evolved to be more herbivorous.
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 Ailuropodidae This in part of their similarities with the Red Panda in particular the presence of a "thumb" and five fingers; the "thumb" – actually a modified sesamoid bone – helps it to hold bamboo while eating.
Recent genetic studies have shown that ailuropodines are indeed members of the bear family as they are not closely related to Red Pandas, which are placed in their own family Ailuridae. Any similarities between ailuropodines and ailurids are likely to due to convergent evolution as the fossil record has shown the "false thumb" has been required independently for different purposes. The "false thumb" has actually been found in Spectacled Bears as well, suggesting that it is a plesiomorphic trait among bears that became lost in the Ursinae subfamily.
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Wikipedia