• NOT_RICK@lemmy.world
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      5 days ago

      I mean, it’s 4chan. It says (or at least it used to) that only a fool would take its stories as real right on the webpage

    • ALoafOfBread@lemmy.ml
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      5 days ago

      First mention by hhhhwhite people was in 1869, apparently. But mentioned in chinese texts as early as like 2000 years ago

    • finitebanjo@piefed.world
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      5 days ago

      I just gave a brisk read through that article, btw your link is slightly off, and it doesn’t seem to disprove the point much at all. What few historical Mo panda are referenced were called giant iron eating beasts in mythical tales, no artistic depictions, and most of the citations are improper/broken. One of them mentions Bencao Gangmu, a sort of catalogue of plants and animals with pictures, claims Mo panda being between Leopards and Elephants but a quick search did not reveal any such images unto me.

      All of the actual depictions of black and white pandas presented on the page were in the 19th century and after.

      Honestly, I’m convinced. Pandas are just painted or modified brown bears.

      • theunknownmuncher@lemmy.world
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        5 days ago

        most of the citations are improper/broken

        …citations… to books… not broken links lol.

        [19] (tr. adapted from Harper 2013: 185, 205)

        And on page 185, we find the exact text cited

        https://www.scribd.com/document/485010568/Donald-Harper-2012-2013-The-Cultural-History-of-the-Giant-Panda-in-Early-China-pdf

        What few historical Mo panda are referenced were called giant iron eating beasts in mythical tales, no artistic depictions, and most of the citations are improper/broken.

        For the mythical part, you’re conflating Mo panda and mythical Mo chimera, which is confusing. Giant pandas are known to and commonly observed licking rocks, soil, and metal objects to supplement minerals missing from their diet of bamboo, so that’s where iron eating comes from. The given ancient decriptions of them are consistent with a panda, but for some reason you’ve chosen not to quote those descriptions, instead crafting your own.

        Resembles a bear, with a small head, short legs, mixed black and white; able to lick and consume iron, copper, and bamboo joints; its bones are strong and solid within, having little marrow; and its pelt can repel dampness.

        Sounds like a panda.

        No clue what you mean by my link is “slightly off”

        • finitebanjo@piefed.world
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          5 days ago

          The wikipedia contributors were unable to link to a digitization of the book, that’s what I mean by improper. I don’t own a copy of books written in 223 AD, neither does my local library.

          The Donald Harper book you just posted was published in 2012. 2012 came later than the 18th century.

  • Pencilnoob@lemmy.world
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    5 days ago

    I always heard they were larger and ate a specific diet of plants that are now extinct, and so have adapted to only eating low nutrition bamboo and it’s caused them to barely be able to reproduce.

  • shalafi@lemmy.world
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    5 days ago

    “I felt like putting a bullet between the eyes of every Panda that wouldn’t screw to save its species.”