Parailurus anglicus
| English panda Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Ailuridae |
| Genus: | †Parailurus |
| Species: | †P. anglicus |
| Binomial name | |
| †Parailurus anglicus Dawkins, 1888 | |
| Synonyms | |
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The English panda (Parailurus anglicus) is a one of three species of the extinct genus Parailurus. Parailurus anglicus was native to Europe, more specifically the British Isles, Slovakia, Romania, Germany, and Hungary. Parailurus anglicus was twice the size of modern red pandas, and used to be classified in their genus Ailurus until 1899 following a study.
The species was first described in 1888. Its place in the evolutionary tree is debated as it belongs to the ailurid family. Modern genetic evidence suggests it belongs in Musteloidea, a clade which includes weasels, skunks, and raccoons.
Parailurus anglicus might have inhabited coniferous forests, similar to those that modern red pandas lived in. Parailurus anglicus' teeth suggested that it was very likely omnivorous.