Ailuropodinae

Ailuropodinae Temporal range: Early Miocene – present PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Family:	Ursidae
Subfamily:	Ailuropodinae Grevé, 1894
Tribes and genera
Tribe †Agriotheriini Tribe AiluropodiniGrevé, 1894 Ailuropoda † Agriarctos † Ailurarctos † Kretzoiarctos

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 has shown that various species of pandas were more widespread across the Holarctic, with species found in places such as Europe, much of Asia, North America and even Africa. ^{[1] [2] [3] [4]} The earliest pandas were not unlike other modern bear species in that they had an omnivorous diet but by around 2.4 million years ago, pandas have evolved to be more herbivorous. ^{[5] [6]} The Giant panda (the Ailuropoda) belongs to the order of Carnivora, this means that the macronutrients that are digested are most similar to those of carnivores that of herbivores even though their diet consists mainly of bamboo. ^[7]

Systematics

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, ^{[8] [9] : 24  [10]} Ursidae, ^{[11] [12] [13]} Ailuridae, ^[14] or even their own family Ailuropodidae. ^[15] Part of their similarities with the red panda is in particular the presence of a "thumb" and five fingers; the "thumb" – a modified sesamoid bone – that helps it to hold bamboo while eating. ^[16]

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. ^{[17] [18]} Any similarities between ailuropodines and ailurids are likely due to convergent evolution as the fossil record has shown the "false thumb" has been required independently for different purposes. ^[19] The "false thumb" has been found in spectacled bears as well, suggesting that it is a plesiomorphic trait among bears that became lost in the Ursinae subfamily. ^[20]

Taxonomy

The ailuropodines are divided into two tribes the extinct Agriotheriini and Ailuropodini; the following taxonomy below is after Abella et al. (2012):

• Subfamily AiluropodinaeGrevé, 1894 ^[21]
  • Tribe †Agriotheriini Kretzoi, 1929 ^[22]
    • † Agriotherium Wagner, 1837
      • †Agriotherium africanumHendey, 1972
      • †Agriotherium gregoryiFrick, 1926
      • †Agriotherium hendeyiJiangzuo & Flynn, 2019
      • †Agriotherium inexpetansQiu et al., 1991
      • †Agriotherium insigneGervais, 1859
      • †Agriotherium myanmarensisOgino et al., 2011
      • †Agriotherium palaeindicusLydekker, 1878
      • †Agriotherium sivalensis(Falconer & Cautley, 1836)
    • † Huracan Jiangzuo et al., 2023
      • †Huracan coffeyi(Dalquest, 1986)
      • †Huracan qiuiJiangzhou et al., 2023
      • †Huracan schneideri(Sellards, 1916)
      • †Huracan? punjabensis(Lydekker, 1884) [Indarctos punjabensis(Lydekker, 1884)]
      • †Huracan? roblesi(Morales & Aguirre, 1976) [Agriotherium roblesiMorales & Aguirre, 1976]
    • † Indarctos Pilgrim, 1913
      • †Indarctos anthracitis(Weithofer, 1888)
      • †Indarctos arctoides(Deperet, 1895)
      • †Indarctos atticus(Weithofer, 1888)
      • †Indarctos bakalovi(Kovachev, 1988)
      • †Indarctos lagrelli(Zdansky, 1924)
      • †Indarctos nevadensisMacdonald, 1959 ^[23]
      • †Indarctos oregonensisMerriam et al., 1916
      • †Indarctos salmontanusPilgrim, 1913
      • †Indarctos sinensis(Zdansky, 1924)
      • †Indarctos viretiVillalta & Crusafont, 1943
      • †Indarctos zdanskyiQiu & Tedford, 2003 ^[24]
    •  ?† Miomaci de Bonis et al., 2017
      • †Miomaci pannonicumde Bonis et al., 2017
  • Tribe AiluropodiniGrevé, 1894
    • Ailuropoda Milne-Edwards, 1870
      • Ailuropoda melanoleuca David, 1869 – giant panda
      • † Ailuropoda baconi Woodward 1915
      • † Ailuropoda microta Pei, 1962
      • † Ailuropoda wulingshanensis Wang & Alii, 1982
    • † Agriarctos Kretzoi, 1942 ^[25]
      • †Agriarctos depereti(Schlosser, 1902)
      • †Agriarctos gaaliKretzoi, 1942
      • † Agriarctos nikolovi Jiangzuo & Spassov, 2022
      • †Agriarctos vighiKretzoi, 1942
    • † Ailurarctos Qi et al., 1989
      • †Ailurarctos lufengensisQi et al., 1989
      • †Ailurarctos yuanmouensisZong, 1997
    • † Kretzoiarctos Abella et al., 2012
      • †Kretzoiarctos beatrixAbella et al., 2011

References

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2. Montoya, P., L. Alcalá, and Jorge Morales. Indarctos (Ursidae, Mammalia) from the Spanish Turolian (Upper Miocene). Nationaal Natuurhistorisch Museum, 2001.
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4. Abella, Juan; Alba, David M.; Robles, Josep M.; Valenciano, Alberto; Rotgers, Cheyenn; Carmona, Raül; Montoya, Plinio; Morales, Jorge; O’Grady, Patrick (2012). "Kretzoiarctos gen. nov., the Oldest Member of the Giant Panda Clade". PLOS ONE. 7 (11): e48985. Bibcode:2012PLoSO...748985A. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0048985 . PMC   3498366 . PMID   23155439.
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20. Salesa, Manuel J., et al. "Anatomy of the “false thumb” of Tremarctos ornatus (Carnivora, Ursidae, Tremarctinae): phylogenetic and functional implications." (2006).
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