Why do zoologists disagree that the giant panda is a part of the bear family?

It was previously believed that pandas were a subspecies somewhere between the raccoon and bear family. Recently however, genetic testing has proven that pandas are indeed part of the bear family, Ursidae. They merely have more primitive traits than most bears of today which was the reason scientists were confused. Today, scientists now understand that pandas are actually true bears, but are often called "living fossils" for their unique prehistoric behaviors.

Yes! Until recently, pandas were thought to be part of a subspecies between the raccoon and the bear family. Through genetic testing, it has been found that pandas are indeed true bears of the Ursidae family. The pandas closest relative is the spectacled bear of South America. Giant pandas are a very old species of animal, often referred to as a "living fossil", because they carry traits that only bears many centuries ago would have had.