Agriarctos beatrix
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Agriarctos beatrix is the ancestral group of the Ailuropodinae Subfamily in the fossil records.[1]. The extant giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca), has a special craniodental structure which is a feeding adaptation for eating bamboo. Interestingly, the similar feeding adaptation was also found in Agriarctos Beatrix in the middle Miocene of Europe [2]. This indicates that Agriarctos beatrix can be considered as the oldest relative to the giant panda[3] Unlike most of the Ursoidea species, Agriarctos beatrix has strong distal cusps of the premolars and a relatively forward metaconid [4]. These unique traits can be the early feeding adaptation for Agriarctos beatrix to eat hard plants, like bamboos[5]. Researchers speculate that the early development of the distal and mesial cusps on the premolars of Agriarctos indicates a trend of the further evolution of more complex premolars for the plant-feeding Ursoidea species and this explains why the extant giant panda have the very complex molars.
References
- ↑ Abella, J., P. Montoya, and J. Morales. "A New Species of Agriarctos (Ailuropodinae, Ursidae, Carnivora) in the Locality of Nombrevilla 2 (Zaragoza, Spain)." Estudios Geológicos 67.2 (2011): 187-191
- ↑ Abella, Juan, David M. Alba, Josep M. Robles, Alberto Valenciano, Cheyenn Rotgers, Raül Carmona, Jorge Morales, and Plinio Montoya. "Kretzoiarctos Gen. Nov., the Oldest Member of the Giant Panda Clade." PLOS ONE 7.11 (2012): n. pag.
- ↑ Abella, J., P. Montoya, and J. Morales. "A New Species of Agriarctos (Ailuropodinae, Ursidae, Carnivora) in the Locality of Nombrevilla 2 (Zaragoza, Spain)." Estudios Geológicos 67.2 (2011): 187-191
- ↑ Abella, J., P. Montoya, and J. Morales. "A New Species of Agriarctos (Ailuropodinae, Ursidae, Carnivora)in the Locality of Nombrevilla 2 (Zaragoza, Spain)." Estudios Geológicos 67.2 (2011): 187-191
- ↑ Abella, Juan, David M. Alba, Josep M. Robles, Alberto Valenciano, Cheyenn Rotgers, Raül Carmona, Jorge Morales, and Plinio Montoya. "Kretzoiarctos Gen. Nov., the Oldest Member of the Giant Panda Clade." PLOS ONE 7.11 (2012): n. pag.
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