Photo: Shaanxi Daily

A highly complete giant panda fossil was discovered in a limestone cave in the city of Hanzhong, Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, one of the natural habitats of the giant panda. This is the first time that a highly complete giant panda fossil has been discovered in the province, the Shaanxi Daily reported on Monday.

The panda's skull is over 90 percent intact, and other skeletal remains are 70 percent complete. The fossil collection was discovered 180 meters deep within the cave.

"The humerus, femur, vertebrae, and ribs of the giant panda are well preserved," said Hu Songmei, a member of the Shaanxi Provincial Paleontological Fossil Expert Committee, who conducted a preliminary identification of the bones at the site.

"Initial assessments suggest that the fossil belong to an adult giant panda, possibly a female," said Zhang Yunxiang, a paleontology expert from Xi'an-based Northwest University. "Our preliminary analysis dates the fossil to the late Middle Pleistocene to late Pleistocene, about 200,000-10,000 years ago."

Further research will be conducted to determine the exact age and other details of the fossil, said Zeng Zhongcheng, deputy director of the Shaanxi Provincial Center for Paleontological Fossil Protection and Research.

"This fossil is crucial for understanding the survival and evolutionary process of giant pandas in the Qinling and Daba mountains and provides valuable insights into the Pleistocene's paleogeography, paleoenvironment and paleoclimate," noted Zeng.

Photo: Shaanxi Daily