Parocnus is an extinct genus of sloth native to Cuba and Hispaniola, belonging to the family Megalocnidae. It was a terrestrial ground sloth, being the second largest Caribbean sloth after Megalocnus.[1]

Parocnus
Temporal range: Late Pleistocene–Holocene
Skeleton of Parocnus dominicanus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Pilosa
Family: Megalocnidae
Genus: Parocnus
Miller 1929
Species

See text

Closeup of the skull with the jugal bone missing

Taxonomy edit

After[2]

  • Parocnus browni Pleistocene to Holocene, Cuba
  • Parocnus serus Pleistocene to Holocene, Hispaniola (synonym Megalocnus zile)[1]
  • Parocnus dominicanus Pleistocene to Holocene, Hispaniola[3]

References edit

  1. ^ a b McAfee, Robert K.; Beery, Sophia M. (2021-03-04). "Intraspecific variation of Megalonychid sloths from Hispaniola and the taxonomic implications". Historical Biology. 33 (3): 371–386. Bibcode:2021HBio...33..371M. doi:10.1080/08912963.2019.1618294. ISSN 0891-2963. S2CID 195403443.
  2. ^ White, J.L.; MacPhee, R.D.E. (2001). "The sloths of the West Indies: a systematic and phylogenetic review". In Woods, C. A.; Sergile, F. E. (eds.). Biogeography of the West Indies: Patterns and Perspectives. Boca Raton, London, New York, and Washington, D.C.: CRC Press. pp. 201–235. doi:10.1201/9781420039481-14. ISBN 978-0-8493-2001-9.
  3. ^ McAfee, Robert; Beery, Sophia; Rimoli, Renato; Almonte, Juan; Lehman, Phillip; Cooke, Siobhan (2021-08-31). "New species of the ground sloth Parocnus from the late Pleistocene-early Holocene of Hispaniola". Vertebrate Anatomy Morphology Palaeontology. 9 (1). doi:10.18435/vamp29369. ISSN 2292-1389.