Is the giant panda a bear or a cat?

The giant panda is the only mammal belonging to Carnivora, Xiong Ke, Giant Panda Subsubfamily and Giant Panda. The giant panda is a unique animal in China, and its main existing habitats are mountainous areas in China, Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu. Giant pandas have lived on the earth for at least 8 million years and are known as "living fossils" and "national treasures of China". It is the image ambassador of WWF and the flagship species of global biodiversity conservation. According to the third national wild panda population survey, there are less than 1600 wild pandas in the world, which belong to the national first-class protected animals.

The giant panda belongs to Xiong Ke, which is a highly specialized bear. Giant pandas are similar to bears in size, appearance, tail length, skull structure, nervous system and foot shape. Especially, serological, neurochemical and molecular biological studies show that giant pandas are closely related to bears.

Extended data:

The ancestors of giant pandas are native pandas. The standard Chinese name of the giant panda is actually "panda", which means "bear like a cat". This is the earliest panda, which is mainly carnivorous and evolved from a bear-like animal. The main branches of Eocene pandas continued to evolve in central and southern China. One of them appeared in the early Pleistocene about 3 million years ago and was smaller than a panda. Judging from its teeth, it has evolved into an omnivore and an egg-laying bear. Since then, this main branch has spread to the subtropics, and fossils have been found in North China, Northwest China, East China, Southwest China, South China and even Vietnam and northern Myanmar.

Xiong Ke animals belong to large and medium-sized mammals, with thick and heavy bodies and round heads. Bears have short legs, five toes on their limbs and feet, claws that can't stretch and contract, and a short tail. Except polar bears, all animals in Xiong Ke are omnivorous mammals. In summer, bears begin to store energy and increase their body fat content. When the cold winter comes, they will hide in tree holes or underground caves for the winter.

References:

Baidu encyclopedia-giant panda

References:

China Net-Which family does the giant panda belong to? I don't know!

References:

Baidu Encyclopedia-Xiong Ke