"The giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is a member of the kingdom Animalia, the phylum Chordata, class Mammalia, and the family Ursidae, which includes most bears, the order Carnivora (website). The giant panda's closest relatives include the spectacled bear, sloth bear, and Asiatic black bear. The giant panda appears to have been one of the oldest members of the Ursidae family, emerging about 15-25 million years ago (Talbot and Shields, 1996)."