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Oldest fossil of giant panda family discovered

Date:
November 14, 2012
Source:
Public Library of Science
Summary:
New fossils found in Spain are thought to be of the oldest recorded ancestor of the giant panda. The fossils reveal the origins of this unique bear.
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New fossils found in Spain are thought to be of the oldest recorded ancestor of the giant panda.

The fossils reveal the origins of this unique bear, as described in a paper published Nov. 14 in the open access journal PLOS ONE by Juan Abella and colleagues from the National Museum of Natural Sciences and the Catalan Institute of Paleontology, Spain.

The two 11.6 million-year-old fossil jaws and teeth were discovered in southwest Europe and represent a new genus likely to be the oldest known members of the giant panda family. The fossils bear the characteristics of a bear adapted to eating tough plant material like bamboo. The giant panda, native to certain parts of China, is the only living member of this unique bear family with these dietary habits.

Corresponding author Juan Abella adds: "The new genus we describe in this paper is not only the first bear recorded in the Iberian Peninsula, but also the first of the giant panda's lineage."

The Spanish Ministerio de Economı´a y Competitividad (CGL2011-28681, CGL2011-25754, and RYC-2009-04533 to DMA), the research group BSCH-UCM 910607, and the Generalitat de Catalunya (2009 SGR 754 GRC) supported this research. Fieldwork at ACM was funded by CESPA Gestio´n de Residuos, S.A.U.


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Journal Reference:

  1. Juan Abella, David M. Alba, Josep M. Robles, Alberto Valenciano, Cheyenn Rotgers, Raül Carmona, Plinio Montoya, Jorge Morales. Kretzoiarctos gen. nov., the Oldest Member of the Giant Panda Clade. PLoS ONE, 2012; 7 (11): e48985 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0048985

Cite This Page:

Public Library of Science. "Oldest fossil of giant panda family discovered." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 14 November 2012. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121114172831.htm>.
Public Library of Science. (2012, November 14). Oldest fossil of giant panda family discovered. ScienceDaily. Retrieved December 5, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121114172831.htm
Public Library of Science. "Oldest fossil of giant panda family discovered." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121114172831.htm (accessed December 5, 2024).

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