Evolutionary History
The giant panda is closely related to the majority of the different types of bears, but it's most closely related bear is the spectacled bear of South America. The giant panda is also very closely related to the raccoon. Due to the giant panda's skull and tooth structure, markings and other characteristics, the giant panda belongs to the same family as the raccoon and the red panda, that diverged millions of years ago. Giant pandas branched off the bear family tree 15 million to 25 million years ago, and therefore should be considered a subgroup of the bear family. It is said that the unique features of the giant panda are probably the result of evolution and ancestral characteristics lost by bears after they split from the main line.