| Ailurarctos Temporal range: Late Miocene | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Paleoart of two Ailurarctos | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Ursidae |
| Tribe: | Ailuropodini |
| Genus: | † Ailurarctos Qi et al., 1989 |
| Type species | |
| †Ailurarctos lufengensis Qi et al., 1989 | |
| Species | |
†A. lufengensisQi et al., 1989 | |
Ailurarctos ("cat bear") is an extinct genus of panda from the Late Miocene of China, some 8 million years ago. [1] [2] [3] [4]
Different teeth structures in the Ailuropoda lineage indicate a mosaic evolution during the past 2 million years. [5] 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. [6]
