Parailurus anglicus

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.^[1] Parailurus anglicus was twice the size of modern red pandas, and used to be classified in their genus Ailurus until 1899 following a study.

English panda Temporal range: Early Pliocene–Late Pliocene PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
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
†Ailurus anglicus †Parailurus hungaricus Kormos, 1935

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.^[2] Parailurus anglicus' teeth suggested that it was very likely omnivorous.

Taxonomy

Parailurus anglicus was first described by William Boyd Dawkins in 1888, who originally called it Ailurus anglicus. The species was found at the Red Crag in East Anglia.^[3] Max Schlosser reclassified the species' genus as Parailurus in 1899, following a study of a more complete specimen's dentition from the Baróth-Köpecz locality.^[4][2]

Tivadar Kormos described a new species of Parailurus called Parailurus hungaricus in 1939, this species is now a junior synonym for Parailurus anglicus.^[5] Parailurus anglicus was the first species described in the genus Parailurus. The other two species, P. baikalicus and P. tedfordi, were described in 2008 and 2022 respectively.^[6][5]

Phylogeny

The place of Parailurus anglicus and Ailurids overall in the evolutionary tree has been debated. They were first placed in the family Procyonidae in the early 20th century for the raccoon's similarity with the red panda. Newer genetic studies in 2005, 2018 and 2021 have placed the Ailurid family in the clade Musteloidea, which includes Procyonidae, Mustelidae (weasels, minks and relatives) and Mephitidae (skunks and stink badgers).^[7][8][9]

Description

Size compared to human

Because the English panda has been only described by fragmentary remains, its appearance hasn't been well-documented. Other Ailurids provide the general idea of what the English panda looked like. Dawkins' specimen was a "battered and worn down" part of the right lower jaw, not giving much information of the appearance of English panda.^[3]

A reconstruction by the Czech artist Oldřich Kroupa represented it as extremely similar to the red panda, though with darker and dull fur.^[10] Parailurus anglicus was twice the size of a red panda,^[1] and probably lived in a similar environment to that of the red panda.^[2]

The English panda had a much rather distinct dentition when compared to other ailurids. It has a pretty unusual upper fourth premolar, with greater antoposterior length than transverse width.^[11] Its teeth suggest it was an omnivorous animal.^[12]