Scientists think they’ve helped settle a debate over one of the most endangered (and cutest) animals around: the red panda.
New genetic evidence suggests there are really two different species of red panda, each with a unique evolutionary history.
Red pandas (Ailurus fulgens) are the only mammals of their kind, though they are closely related to raccoons, skunks, and weasels.
They’re infamously much less related to giant pandas than their shared name and love of bamboo implies, with the giant pandas being part of the bear family.