Ocnotherium is an extinct genus of ground sloth known from the Late Pleistocene of Brazil, belonging to the family Mylodontidae, containing the species Ocnotherium giganteum. It is a member of the subfamily Mylodontinae, but its relationship to other members of that subfamily are uncertain.[1] It had osteoderms embedded within its skin, like some other mylodontids.[2] It was likely a mixed feeder,[3] and may have been adapted to digging.[4]

Ocnotherium
Temporal range: Late Pleistocene
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Pilosa
Family: Mylodontidae
Subfamily: Mylodontinae
Genus: Ocnotherium
Lund, 1842
Type species
Ocnotherium giganteum
(Lund, 1839)

References edit

  1. ^ Boscaini, Alberto; Pujos, François; Gaudin, Timothy J. (November 2019). "A reappraisal of the phylogeny of Mylodontidae (Mammalia, Xenarthra) and the divergence of mylodontine and lestodontine sloths". Zoologica Scripta. 48 (6): 691–710. doi:10.1111/zsc.12376. ISSN 0300-3256. S2CID 201194980.
  2. ^ Brambilla, Luciano; Toledo, Marcelo Javier; Haro, José Augusto; Aguilar, José Luis (November 2019). "New osteoderm morphotype (Xenarthra, Mylodontidae) from the middle Pleistocene of Argentina". Journal of South American Earth Sciences. 95: 102298. Bibcode:2019JSAES..9502298B. doi:10.1016/j.jsames.2019.102298. S2CID 201317034.
  3. ^ Dantas, Mário A.T.; Santos, Adaiana M.A. (August 2022). "Inferring the paleoecology of the Late Pleistocene giant ground sloths from the Brazilian Intertropical Region". Journal of South American Earth Sciences. 117: 103899. Bibcode:2022JSAES.11703899D. doi:10.1016/j.jsames.2022.103899.
  4. ^ Santos, Adaiana Marta Andrade; Mcdonald, H. Gregory; Dantas, Mário André Trindade (2023-05-22). "Inferences of the ecological habits of extinct giant sloths from the Brazilian Intertropical Region". Journal of Quaternary Science. doi:10.1002/jqs.3534. ISSN 0267-8179. S2CID 258873849.