The giant panda originally had a European relative, and they couldn't even bite bamboo.

In the Natural History Museum of Bulgaria, two mysterious animal dental fossils were lying. The two teeth were collected by paleontologist Ivan Nikolov in the 1970s. On the tag paper of handwriting, there is only a blurred place name, indicating that the teeth come from the mountain -footed villages in the north of the country.

In fact, animal teeth are not rare relics. In excavations, animal relics are much more common than human relics, and teeth are often better preserved than bones because of hardness. Therefore, scattered teeth are not rare. Perhaps for this reason, plus the record is blurred, which ancient beast belongs to the two teeth, and has not concluded for more than 40 years.

However, recent researchers and Chinese scholars at the museum have paid attention to these two mysterious teeth and revealed the true appearance of the ancient beasts. This research was published in the "Beltas Veypullastine College". After identification, scholars believe that two teeth are an unknown European giant panda, living in the European mountain forest about 6 million years ago -this is also the found distance that has been discovered The recent European panda, and the drought of the environment may lead to their extinction.

What? My relatives are here ｜ giphy

It may be larger than the modern giant panda, or it is almost the same

To commemorate the scholar of collecting specimens, Nicolov, this new ancient panda was named Agriaartos Nikolovi, a relative of the current giant panda.

Giant panda is a unique bear family. In the history of evolution, there are many members of Giant Panda Asia, which are widely distributed in Asia and Europe. As far as Spain and France, giant panda fossils have been found. But there is only one species left in the giant panda as left to the modern panda, which is the black and white rolling we see in Sichuan.

The ancient panda confirmed this time belongs to the same Asian family as the modern giant panda, but the former is not the latter's direct ancestor. After referring to the appearance of the existing panda and brown bears, this beast recovery map is like this.

An old new panda | reference [1]

How to judge species with teeth?

You may have doubts here, why can you judge animals from your teeth? Tooth is a very good appraisal material, which is not only easy to save, but also has many morphological feature points to compare.

The discharge of the tooth, the number of teeth, the shape of the root of the teeth, and even the characteristics of each tip, convex, ditch on the crown are named anatomy. (Tooth anatomy is crying). Although there are individual differences in the species, the changes are inseparable.

One is a canine teeth, and the other is a type of head (a class of teeth between canine teeth and rear groove teeth). Looking at the tip of the awl -like teeth, you will think of carnivorous animals ｜ References [1]

Two teeth lying on the Bulgarian museum showed obvious giant panda Akkot. Compared with a variety of giant panda tooth specimens, combined with the age and regional information, the researchers realized that the two teeth did not seem to belong to any known giant panda. In other words, a giant panda that had not been known before was wandering between the Eastern European mountains and forests.

This giant panda body may be similar or smaller than the existing giant panda. This inference also comes from the teeth: the canine teeth in the two teeth are particularly thick, similar to those of the existing giant pandas, and they are larger than other close relatives.

Being vegetarian, I can't bite bamboo

Although canine teeth are very thick, researchers do not think this has anything to do with hunting. Large canine teeth are more likely to be used for self -defense or competition between pandas, or a reflection of a male and female difference.

The giant panda belongs to the Yaki family under the family of meat, and they have a sharp and sharp teeth that can tear the meat. However, the modern black and white roller has a soft spot for bamboo. About 99%of the food comes from bamboo and can eat dozens of pounds a day.

Teeth sharp, but vegetarian ｜ Giphy

Teeth wear shows that the ancient European pandas discovered this time also have a vegetarian stomach, and the recipes are softer plants. Studies have pointed out that the giant pandas in Asia and Europe were unlikely to use bamboo as a staple food, because their teeth were not enough to bite bamboo, and they were still evolving towards stronger bite.

Why is the body of meat?

A study in 2011 shows that modern giant pandas still have the digestive system of carnivores. The reason why it can digest the cellulose in bamboo is to rely on intestinal microorganisms. However, what makes the giant panda abandon meat and choose to be vegetarian. So far, there is no clear answer.

This study believes that competition with large carnivorous animals such as bears may drive giant pandas to vegetarianism. The two teeth were buried in coal accumulation about 6 million years ago, which means that the owner of the teeth has inhabit the humid mountain forest with rich vegetation.

However, climate change may lead to this giant panda extinction. More than five million years ago, Mexinian Salinity Crisis made the Mediterranean dry into a basin, which greatly changed the surrounding land environment.

The artistic interpretation of the Mediterranean Basin during the Crisis of Mexica during the salinity crisis. During this period, the connection between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean was closed.

Professor Nikolai Spassov from the Bulgarian National Museum of Natural History is one of the author of the thesis. He pointed out that even if the choice of food and habitat for food and habitatIt is also related to the wet forest environment.He said, "It may be the climate change at the end of the Southern New Shimba in southern Europe, which has led to drought and adversely affects the last European panda survival."

As a result, Europe has always lost their final giant panda.

references

[1] A Late Turolian Giant Panda from Bulgaria and the Early Evolution and Dispersal of the Panda Lineage

https://doi.org/10.1080/02724634.2021.2054718

[2] New Discovery of Panda Species Who Have Been Europe's Last

https://www.scienceDaily.com/releases/2022/08/220801103000.htm

[3] EVIDENCE of Cellulose Metabolism by the Giant Panda Gut Microbiome

https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.1017956108

CN/KY/KYJZ/201408/T20140805_4170871.shtml

Author: Vicko238

Edit: Youzhi, small towels

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