In Depth Xibalbaonyx is a genus of ground sloth that lived in Mexico during the Pleistocene, Many fossils of this ground sloth have been recovered from underwater caves. Further Reading - Xibalbaonyx oviceps, a new megalonychid ground sloth (Folivora, Xenarthra) from the Late Pleistocene of the Yucat�n Peninsula, Mexico, and its paleobiogeographic significance. - PalZ. … Read more
In Depth Compared to other giant ground sloths Mylodon is closely related to Glossotherium. While analysis of dung samples has confirmed it was a herbivore, Mylodon would have also been especially resilient to attack from predators due to the presence of thick bony plates called osteoderms. These osteoderms were just under the skin and in … Read more
In Depth Paramylodon acquired its name from its close similarity to another ground sloth called Mylodon. This close similarity has led to questions as to if they are actually separate genera since the original defining characteristic of the two genera having a different dental formulae is today no longer considered enough because the numbers of … Read more
In Depth With the possible exception of the woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius), Megatherium is arguably the most famous of the giant mammals that once roamed this planet after the decline of the dinosaurs. Megatherium was also one of the last to disappear with remains appearing in the fossil record until as recently as the start … Read more
In Depth Further Reading – Eremotherium laurillardi: the Panamerican late Pleistocene megatheriid sloth. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. – C. Cartelle & G. De Iuliis – 1995. – Eremotherium sefvei nov. sp. (Mammalia, Xenarthra, Megatheriidae) from the Pleistocene of Ulloma, Bolivia. – Geobios 30(3):453-461. – G. De Iuliis and P. A. Saint-Andre – 1997. – A … Read more
In Depth Further Reading – Third contribution to the Snake Creek Fauna. – Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 50:59-210. – W. D. Matthew – 1924. – The Ground Sloth Megalonyx from Pleistocene Deposits of the Old Crow Basin, Yukon, Canada. – Arctic (Calgary, Alberta: The Arctic Institute of North America) 53 (3): … Read more