The authentic panda bear inhabited the Eastern German mountain range.
Approximately 11.5 million years ago, the forefathers of contemporary giant pandas roamed the earth. A team led by Madelaine Böhme from the Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment at the University of Tübingen made this discovery. They identified the teeth of an ancient panda species named Kretzoiarctos beatrix for this purpose. These panda's teeth were found alongside the fossilized remains of 165 ancient animal species, unearthed from the renowned clay pit Hammerschmiede in Eastern Allgäu.
This discovery marks the first instance of the genus Kretzoiarctos being identified outside of the Iberian Peninsula, according to the research team, whose findings were published in the journal "Papers in Palaeontology". This expansion broadens the known distribution area of this bear species to Central Europe. Fossil remains of an ancient panda were discovered in northern Spain as early as 2012. These findings open up new avenues for exploring the evolutionary history and origin of beloved giant pandas.
A close look at the teeth
The bear species existing during that time can be considered an ancestral relative to the modern-day giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca). This conclusion is based on the similarities in shape and structure seen in the fossilized teeth and those of present-day giant pandas. In-depth examination of these teeth, both microscopically and macroscopically, revealed that the ancient panda was not strictly herbivorous like its modern-day counterparts or purely carnivorous like modern polar bears. Instead, its diet closely mirrored that of modern brown bears. According to the researchers, the diet of Kretzoiarctos beatrix consisted of a mix of plant and animal matter. unlike the modern giant panda, which primarily subsists on bamboo, the ancient panda was not yet specialized for consuming particularly tough plant components.
"This sheds light on the evolution of bears and veganism in giant pandas. The earliest giant pandas, represented by Kretzoiarctos beatrix, were generalists. Specialization in the diet of pandas occurred later in their evolution," Madelaine Böhme is quoted saying in a university statement.
Kretzoiarctos beatrix was smaller than present-day brown bears but weighed over 100 kilograms. "Present-day giant pandas are categorized as carnivores in the zoological system. However, they mostly consume plants. They have evolved to specialize in consuming hard plant material, such as bamboo," explains Nikolaos Kargopoulos from the University of Tübingen, who contributed to the study. The scientifically intriguing aspect is how these originally carnivorous animals developed such an extreme plant-based diet.
The fossilized teeth of Kretzoiarctos beatrix, closely resembling those of modern-day giant pandas, provide evidence of shared ancestry between the two. Further analysis of these teeth reveals that the ancient panda's diet was not solely herbivorous or carnivorous, but a mix of plant and animal matter.
The discovery of fossilized teeth and remains of Kretzoiarctos beatrix in multiple locations, such as Eastern Allgäu and northern Spain, suggests a wider distribution of this ancient panda species in the past.
