Ailuridae

Ailuridae
Red Panda
Scientific Classification
Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Mammalia
Order	Carnivora
Family	Ailuridae

Ailuridae is a family from the Carnivora order. It's including 1 extanct species,the Red Panda, and several extinct species.

Frédéric Georges Cuvier first described Ailurus as belonging to the raccoon family in 1825; this classification has been controversial ever since. It was classified in the raccoon family (Procyonidae) because of morphological similarities of the head, colored ringed tail, and other morphological and ecological characteristics. Then, it was assigned to the bear family (Ursidae).The most recent molecular-systematic DNA research places the Red Panda into its own independent family, Ailuridae.

Red Pandas have no close living relatives, and their nearest fossil ancestors, Parailurus, lived 3-4 million years ago. There may have been as many as three different species of Parailurus, all larger and more robust in the head and jaw, living in Europe and Asia but possibly crossing the Bering Strait into the Americas. The Red Panda may be the sole surviving species - a specialized offshoot surviving the Ice Age in a Chinese mountain refuge.

Classification

In addition to Ailurus, the family Ailuridae includes eight extinct genera, most of which are assigned to two subfamilies, Ailurinae and Simocyoninae.

• Family Ailuridae
  • Genus Protursus (†)
    • Protursus simpsoni
  • ?Subfamily Amphictinae
    • Genus Viretius (†)
      • Viretius goeriachensis
    • Genus Amphictis (†)
      • Amphictis aginensis
      • Amphictis antiqua
      • Amphictis borbonica
      • Amphictis prolongata
      • Amphictis schlosseri
      • Amphictis wintershofensis
  • Subfamily Simocyoninae (†)
    • Genus Alopecocyon (†)
      • Alopecocyon leardi
    • Genus Simocyon (†)
      • Simocyon batalleri
      • Simocyon diaphorus
      • Simocyon hungaricus
      • Simocyon primigenius
  • Subfamily Ailurinae
    • Genus Magerictis (†)
      • Magerictis imperialensis
    • Genus Pristinailurus (†)
      • Pristinailurus bristoli
    • Genus Parailurus (†)
      • Parailurus sp.
      • Parailurus hungaricus
      • Parailurus anglicus
    • Genus Ailurus
      • Ailurus fulgens – red panda