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Archaeomylodon
''Archaeomylodon'' is an extinct genus of mylodontine ground sloths that lived during the Middle Pleistocene of what is now Argentina. It is known so far only from a single skull, which in its dimensions corresponds to those of the giant ''Lestodon''. However, the skull differs from this one by its narrower and higher snout. In addition, the anterior canine teeth, which are usually large in many mylodonts, are greatly reduced. The find comes from the Pampa region of South America and was deposited in about 700,000 years old sediments. Discovery and naming The only known find of ''Archaeomylodon'' so far, was discovered in Cantera Iglesias near Partido San Pedro in the north of the Argentine province of Buenos Aires. The site is located south of the Río Paraná in the Pampa region of South America. The skull was deposited there in calcareous deposits in the upper section of the Ensenada Formation. According to radiometric measurements, these could be determined to be about 700 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mylodontinae
Mylodontinae is an extinct subfamily of ground sloths that lived from the Early Miocene to the Early Holocene epochs. Classification The classification of the Mylodontidae is complex and often under discussion. The most widely accepted subfamilies are the Mylodontinae with ''Mylodon'' as the type genus and the Lestodontinae, whose type genus is ''Lestodon'', which sometimes also includes ''Paramylodon'' and ''Glossotherium ''Glossotherium'' is an extinct genus of mylodontid ground sloths of the subfamily Mylodontinae, which includes large ground-dwelling sloths. It represents one of the best known members of the family, along with ''Mylodon'' and ''Paramylodon''. ...'' (sometimes also listed as belonging to the tribes Mylodontini and Lestodontini. The subdivision of the terminal group of mylodonts into the Lestodontinae and Mylodontinae found confirmation in one of the most comprehensive studies of the phylogeny of sloths based on cranial features in 2004, which subsequently ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Paramylodon
''Paramylodon'' is an extinct genus of ground sloth of the family Mylodontidae endemic to North America during the Pliocene through Pleistocene epochs, living from around ~4.9 Mya–11,000 years ago. It is also known as Harlan's ground sloth. Due to the partly very good fossil preservation, the body armor typical for the mylodonts has mostly been preserved in the form of osteoderms. In addition, a sex-specific difference in cranial structure can be demonstrated. According to the finds, the representatives of ''Paramylodon'' lived in open landscapes, sometimes also in mountainous locations, and most likely fed on grass-eating or mixed plant diets. Unique trace fossils also provide information about the locomotion of the animals, which was quadrupedal. In addition, due to the design of the forelimbs, a certain burrowing way of life cannot be disputed. Within the genus only two species are recognized: ''Paramylodon harlani'' and ''Paramylodon garbanii''. The first fossil findings d ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mylodon
''Mylodon'' is a genus of extinct ground sloth belonging to the family Mylodontidae, known from the region of Patagonia in Chile and Argentina in southern South America. With a total length of 3 to 4 m, it is one of the best-known and largest representatives of the group. The oldest finds probably date to the Lower Pleistocene; however, most of the fossil remains date from the Upper Pleistocene period. One of the most important sites of this phase is the Cueva del Milodón in southern Chile. Shortly after, about 10,200 BP, ''Mylodon'' became extinct. At this point in time, it coexisted with the first human colonists in America. However, there is little evidence that it was hunted by humans. In ''Mylodons case, not only bones and teeth are known, but also various soft tissue and integumentary structures are preserved. The diet of ''Mylodon'' is known in great detail due to fossilized faeces. Its skull is greatly elongated and, compared to other large mylodontids, is narrower, posse ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Baraguatherium
''Baraguatherium'' is an extinct genus of ground sloths of the family Mylodontidae that lived during the Early Miocene of what is now Venezuela. It dates to the Early Miocene, around 20.44 to 15.97 million years ago and represents the oldest representative of its family in the northern part of South America to date. The structure of the teeth suggests that the genus represents a rather basal form within the Mylodontidae. Unlike other mylodonts, which tended to prefer open grasslands, ''Baraguatherium'' lived in a riverine, coastal tropical rainforest. Discovery and naming The remains of ''Baraguatherium'' known to date are from the Castillo Formation, which is exposed in the Falcón Basin in northwestern Venezuela. The Falcón Basin is located in the boundary of the Caribbean to the South American Plate. An almost complete depositional sequence has been preserved here, ranging from the Eocene to the Pliocene, some of which is very rich in fossils. The most important and best k ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene ( , often referred to as the ''Ice age'') is the geological Epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 2,580,000 to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was finally confirmed in 2009 by the International Union of Geological Sciences, the cutoff of the Pleistocene and the preceding Pliocene was regarded as being 1.806 million years Before Present (BP). Publications from earlier years may use either definition of the period. The end of the Pleistocene corresponds with the end of the last glacial period and also with the end of the Paleolithic age used in archaeology. The name is a combination of Ancient Greek grc, label=none, πλεῖστος, pleīstos, most and grc, label=none, καινός, kainós (latinized as ), 'new'. At the end of the preceding Pliocene, the previously isolated North and South American continents were joined by the Isthmus of Panama, causing Great American Interchang ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mylodontoidea
Sloths are a group of Neotropical xenarthran mammals constituting the suborder Folivora, including the extant arboreal tree sloths and extinct terrestrial ground sloths. Noted for their slowness of movement, tree sloths spend most of their lives hanging upside down in the trees of the tropical rainforests of South America and Central America. Sloths are considered to be most closely related to anteaters, together making up the xenarthran order Pilosa. There are six extant sloth species in two genera – '' Bradypus'' (three–toed sloths) and '' Choloepus'' (two–toed sloths). Despite this traditional naming, all sloths have three toes on each rear limb-- although two-toed sloths have only two digits on each forelimb. The two groups of sloths are from different, distantly related families, and are thought to have evolved their morphology via parallel evolution from terrestrial ancestors. Besides the extant species, many species of ground sloths ranging up to the size of ele ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Prehistoric Sloths
Prehistory, also known as pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the use of the first stone tools by hominins 3.3 million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use of symbols, marks, and images appears very early among humans, but the earliest known writing systems appeared 5000 years ago. It took thousands of years for writing systems to be widely adopted, with writing spreading to almost all cultures by the 19th century. The end of prehistory therefore came at very different times in different places, and the term is less often used in discussing societies where prehistory ended relatively recently. In the early Bronze Age, Sumer in Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley Civilisation, and ancient Egypt were the first civilizations to develop their own scripts and to keep historical records, with their neighbors following. Most other civilizations reached the end of prehistory during the following Iron Age. T ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Octodontotherium
''Octodontotherium'' is an extinct genus of ground sloth of the family Mylodontidae, endemic to South America during the Late Oligocene (Deseadan). It lived from 29 to 23 mya, existing for approximately . Fossil distribution is exclusive to Santa Cruz Province, Argentina (Deseado and Sarmiento Formations) and Bolivia ( Salla Formation). Taxonomy ''Octodontotherium'' was named by Ameghino (1894). It was assigned to Mylodontidae by Carroll (1988); and to Mylodontinae Mylodontinae is an extinct subfamily of ground sloths that lived from the Early Miocene to the Early Holocene epochs. Classification The classification of the Mylodontidae is complex and often under discussion. The most widely accepted subfamili ... by Gaudin (1995).T. J. Gaudin. 1995. The ear region of edentates and the phylogeny of Tardigrada (Mammalia, Xenarthra). Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 15(3):672-705 References Prehistoric sloths Oligocene genus first appearances Oligocene genus extin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pseudoprepotherium
''Pseudoprepotherium'' is an extinct genus of sloths of the family Mylodontidae. It was widespread across northern South America during the Early to Late Miocene epoch around 21 to 5.3 million years ago. Fossils of the animal have been found in Brazil, Venezuela, and Peru. ''Pseudoprepotherium'' lived in a tropical climate with a water-rich environment. Their known remains are limited to limb bones, except for a few skulls and teeth. Based on these remains, they were most likely medium to large-sized mylodontid. The genus was described in 1961 and currently contains three species, which were originally assigned to the genus ''Prepotherium''. Description ''Pseudoprepotherium'' is a medium to a large-sized member of the family Mylodontidae. The material documented so far consists mainly of limb bones but includes individual skulls and remains of jaws. Body weight of around 550kg is reconstructed for the smaller relatives using a thigh bone around 42cm long. Large molds with femur l ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Catonyx
''Catonyx'' is an extinct genus of ground sloth of the family Scelidotheriidae, endemic to South America during the Pliocene and Pleistocene epochs. It lived from 2.5 Ma to about 10,000 years ago, existing for approximately . The most recent date obtained is about 9600 B.P. Description This animal, like many other terrestrial sloths, was of conspicuous size and mighty build. It had to reach and exceed 4 meters in length, and the skull alone was at least 50 centimeters long. Its weight has been estimated at over 1500 kg. The snout of ''Catonyx'' was elongated, although not as in some similar forms (e.g., ''Scelidotherium''). Unlike the latter, ''Catonyx'' possessed shorter premaxillae that formed a triangular (and not rectangular like ''Scelidotherium'') snout tip, a pronounced rostrum bulge, a palate equipped with a median groove, and larger teeth. In addition, the mandibular symphysis was elongated and elevated, and the posterior lobe of the lower fourth molar was more curve ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Scelidotherium
''Scelidotherium'' is an extinct genus of ground sloth of the family Scelidotheriidae, endemic to South America during the Late Pleistocene epoch. It lived from 780,000 to 11,000 years ago, existing for approximately . Description It is characterized by an elongated, superficially anteater-like head. In fossil distribution, it is known from Argentina ( Luján and Arroyo Seco Formations), Bolivia (Tarija Formation), Peru ( San Sebastián Formation), Panama, Brazil, Paraguay and Ecuador. In his journal of ''The Voyage of the Beagle'', Charles Darwin reports the finding of a nearly perfect fossil ''Scelidotherium'' in Punta Alta while travelling overland from Bahía Blanca to Buenos Aires in 1832. He allied it to the ''Megatherium ''Megatherium'' ( ; from Greek () 'great' + () 'beast') is an extinct genus of ground sloths endemic to South America that lived from the Early Pliocene through the end of the Pleistocene. It is best known for the elephant-sized type species ' . ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
