The ancient bears disappeared around 6 million years ago, likely due to extreme climate change.
When researchers examined the teeth, which had been kept in storage for around 40 years, they discovered that the fossils belonged to a never-before-seen species of ancient European panda. The newfound species, which is a close relative of modern giant pandas, roamed the continent around 6 million years ago and was likely the last of Europe's pandas.
After analyzing the teeth, researchers realized that they belonged to an ancient European panda, but the fossils were unlike any other teeth from panda species previously identified in Europe. Most species of European pandas had smaller teeth than modern giant pandas , meaning they were probably much smaller than their modern-day cousins.
The fossilized teeth were originally found in coal deposits, which had partly tinted the bears' chompers black. The composition of the coal at the site suggests that the area was once a swampy forest. This means that A. nikolovi may have had a much more varied diet than modern pandas do, feasting on a range of soft vegetation rather than exclusively on one type of plant, such as modern pandas' food of choice: bamboo.
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