GENERAL KNOWLEDGE

Detailed explanation-1: -Classification. For many decades, the precise taxonomic classification of the giant panda was under debate because it shares characteristics with both bears and raccoons. However, molecular studies indicate the giant panda is a true bear, part of the family Ursidae.

Detailed explanation-2: -The Giant Panda is in the Order Carnivora from the Class Mammalia. It is closely related to most every type of bear, but its closest relative is the Spectacled Bear (Tremarctos). It is also very closely related to raccoons (Procyonidae). The Giant Panda originated from the Caniformia or canine part of Carnivora.

Detailed explanation-3: -It wasn’t until 1869 that Westerners got their first look at the giant panda. Père Armand David, a Catholic priest, had the first peek and likened the strange animal to a bear and so used the Latin word for bear, ursus, in its name. This instinct is understandable–after all, the giant panda looks a lot like a bear.

Detailed explanation-4: -The two species share a common ancestor that lived more than 40 million years ago. Giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) are distant relatives of other bears, whereas red pandas (Ailurus fulgens) are more closely related to ferrets.