Giant panda years ago) from the main ursine stock; since it is the most basal member of the group, it is equidistant from all other extant ursids. The giant panda has been referred to as a living fossil. Despite the shared name, habitat type, and diet, as well as a unique enlarged bone called the "pseudo thumb" (which helps them grip the bamboo shoots they eat) the giant panda and red panda are only distantly related. The word "panda" was borrowed into English from French, but no conclusive explanation of the origin of the French word "panda" has been found. The closest
Red panda "poonya" are also said to mean "eater of bamboo". The name panda could originate from "panjā". In modern Chinese, the red panda is called "xiăoxióngmāo" (/, lesser or small panda), or / ("hóngxióngmāo", red panda). In contrast, the giant panda is called "dàxióngmāo" (/, giant or big panda), or simply "xióngmāo" (/, panda, literally bear-cat). In English, the red panda is also called "lesser panda" (since it is smaller than the giant panda), though "red panda" is more commonly used nowadays. As it was known in the West decades before the giant panda, initially it was the red panda that