French and Chinese scientists have identified the homeland of the panda based on recent archaeological discoveries.
According to recent archaeological findings, the Longgupo region in the Wushan Mountains of Sichuan Province, China, is the homeland of the panda. Huang Wanbo, a reputable Chinese archaeologist and a scientist at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, stated that French and Chinese archaeologists conducted research on animal fossils at Longgupo.
More than 10 types of animal fossils, including those of antelopes and pandas, have been excavated from a 400-square-meter cave located 1,200 meters above sea level. The panda fossils date back approximately 80,000 to 100,000 years ago. Previously, in 1984, fossils of Ailuropoda micrta, a species of “small panda,” were also discovered at Longgupo. Ailuropoda micrta lived around 1.8 to 2.48 million years ago and is believed to be an ancestor of the modern panda.
T.VY (According to Xinhua)
