The dwarf panda (Ailuropoda minor) is an extinct panda species. It was half the size of the modern giant panda, being about three feet in length as opposed to the giant panda, which averages five feet fully grown. The size of the dwarf panda was unknown until 2007 when a skull was discovered in China. Like its modern counterpart, it lived on bamboo shoots, as indicated by wear patterns recorded on teeth and specialised muscle markings, indicating heavy chewing, on the skull.