A new species of lesser panda Parailurus (Mammalia,Carnivora) from the Pliocene of Transbaikalia (Russia) and some aspects of ailurine phylogeny

A new species of the lesser panda, Parailurus baikalicus sp. nov., from the Pliocene of Transbaikalia is described. In contrast to the European taxa P. anglicus and P. hungaricus, it retains a primitive occlusal pattern of M¹-M², with a concave buccal outline, small mesostyle on M¹, and undeveloped styles on M². At the same time, the Transbaikalian panda is more advanced than other representatives of Parailurus in the upper molars with a reduced lingual cingulum and an enlarged paraconule, which is partially (M¹) or completely (M²) separated from the protocone. This combination of primitive and advanced characters points to the separation of the Asian branch at the earliest stages of the genus development. The Transbaikalian lesser panda may represent a terminal form of this phylogenetic lineage.