Paleontology and paleoenvironment

Author: Zhang Xing
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-02-01
Features:
Fragment: Giant Panda – The National Treasure on the Verge of Extinction
When it comes to living fossils in Gansu, the first and foremost is our country's unique and rare national treasure – the giant panda. It belongs to the class of mammals and the family of Ailuridae. Its biological characteristics include a fat body, resembling a bear but slightly smaller, with a length of about 1.5 meters, a shoulder height of 66 centimeters, and a very short tail. The fur is dense and glossy, with black patches around the eyes, on the ears, forelegs, hind legs, and shoulders, while the rest is white (Figure 95). It lives in high-altitude forests at altitudes of 2,000 to 4,000 meters with bamboo groves, prefers to eat bamboo plants, and sometimes also eats small animals. It is skilled at climbing trees, is solitary in nature, and does not live in groups. It usually mates in spring and gives birth in late autumn, with 1 to 2 offspring per litter. The giant panda is only found in western China, specifically in western and northern Sichuan, southern Gansu, eastern Tibet, and southwestern Shaanxi. In ancient Chinese books, the giant panda was referred to as "tao." The Book of Documents and the Book of Songs both mention the giant panda. The Book of Songs states, "Like a tiger, like a tao," and also records, "Offering its hide." According to the descriptions in the literature, "tao" or "tao-xiu" was indeed the ancient name for the giant panda. In China's earliest dictionary, the Erya, besides explaining "tao," it also describes "tao." The giant panda thus appears with another ancient name – "tao." Additionally, the Shan Hai Jing, one of China's earliest geological and geographical texts, compiled during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, describes an animal as "similar to a bear, black and white, eats copper and iron, found in Nan dao County, southern Naiwei Mountain (now southern Rongjing County, Sichuan)." According to records, it was later referred to as "iron-eating beast" and other local names. The famous Han Dynasty litterateur Sima Xiangru listed the giant panda as the first among nearly 4,000 species of animals raised in the Xiangyang Imperial Garden in his Ode to the Xiangyang Garden, showing that it was already regarded as a precious and renowned animal at that time. In 1965, Chinese archaeologists unearthed a well-preserved giant panda skull in the tomb of Empress Dowager Bao Tai in Xi'an, suggesting that Empress Dowager Bao Tai might have been fond of giant pandas during her lifetime. Archaeologists believe that, based on ancient records, in addition to being artificially raised, wild giant pandas might have also existed in the Xi'an area at that time. In the literature of the Western Jin Dynasty (281–316 AD), it was also referred to as "zouyu" or "yi-shou" (the just animal). How many ancient names does the giant panda have? The renowned Chinese zoologist Hu Jinchu, through the study and textual research of over 70 ancient documents and local chronicles, analyzed that its ancient names and local names (common names) number more than 20. Its modern naming has been relatively standardized since 1869, though there is no record of who first proposed the official name. However, it is generally accepted that it was initially called "da-ma-xiong" or "ma-xiong," which later evolved into "da-xiong-ma" or "xiong-ma" due to ease of pronunciation. China's first official exhibition of giant pandas took place in 1955 at the Beijing Zoo. The giant panda is a unique and rare animal native to western China, and it was introduced to the world's zoos from western China. Under what circumstances did the world become aware of the giant panda? In 1869, the French Jesuit missionary Pére David went hunting in the southwestern mountains of China and, having lost his way at night, knocked on a thatched hut with a light inside. The hospitable Chinese villagers warmly welcomed this foreign hunter. After a hearty meal, Pére David noticed a black-and-white patterned fur rug on the floor. Having never seen such fur, he asked the villagers what kind of animal it came from. Not knowing the intentions of this foreign guest or unaware that this animal had already become extinct elsewhere in the world, the villagers replied truthfully: "This is a white bear that sometimes appears in the deep mountains here, also called a flower bear, and is very gentle, living on tender bamboo." After returning to France, Pére David shared this information with the press, causing an immediate sensation in the international animal community. Thus, exploration teams and research groups from all corners of the world flocked to China's southwestern mountains in search of giant pandas, leading to large-scale hunts and captures. In 1911, a Western hunter managed to capture a giant panda in the southwestern mountains of China, which was later preserved as a specimen and sold to the Dublin Natural History Museum in Ireland. In spring 1938, American hunter Lloyd Smith captured five giant pandas in the southwestern mountains of China and sold them to zoos in five European countries. Among them, London Zoo in the British Royal Parks also purchased one. This beautiful and rare animal sparked great interest among British visitors, with many traveling specifically to London to see this "guest" from the East, filling the Royal Park with visitors for several months. It is worth mentioning that the first painter of giant pandas in China is Jiang Yi. Mr. Jiang Yi was