Deep in the Bavarian region of Germany, paleontologists have uncovered an ancient world frozen in time. At a site called Hammerschmiede, they’ve found fossils from 11.6 million years ago, dating from a period called the Miocene. Among the treasure trove of fossils, carnivorous mammals take center stage, revealing an extraordinary variety of species that once roamed the region. But, notably, among these fossils, is also a species called Kretzoiarctos beatrix — considered by paleontologists to be the oldest ancestor of the modern giant panda. Kretzoiarctos beatrix was smaller than modern brown b…