The Universitat de València, the University of Zaragoza and the Complutense University of Madrid lead the research. They trace the origin and early evolution of the ancestors of the current red panda (Ailurus fulgens). It was in the Community of Madrid where the new fossils of the red panda appeared.
The results of these investigations have been published in the 'Journal of Systematic Palaeontology'. It happened between 16 and 12 million years ago, in the middle Miocene. Magerictis imperialensis, the oldest ancestor of the red panda, retained primitive traits within the red panda lineage. But it already had "key" characteristics that anticipated the morphology of current species. Among them, the molars and the ankle bone.
New vision
The new red panda fossils come from eight sites in the Madrid area. Until now, one of the species that was considered the oldest ancestor of the red panda had been found in Madrid. It was only known from a single molar, classified as Magerictis imperialensis.
The findings have made it possible to reconstruct his dental and postcranial anatomy in “unprecedented” detail. We now have a "renewed vision" about the evolution of the red panda family in a context "of important climate changes." With this research, according to the UV, "a taxonomic enigma that has been in force for almost thirty years is resolved."
Madrid millions of years ago
The research "redefines the evolutionary origin of the red panda and the organization of fossil musteloids through the most complete analysis carried out to date." "Furthermore, it shows how fossils from urban environments can transform our understanding of past biodiversity."
It was a much more common animal than we thought in the area of what is now the city of Madrid about 15.5-13.5 million years ago. This project was made possible by the collaboration agreements between the CSIC and the Community of Madrid. And it was able to be financed thanks to the research projects of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities.
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