Acratocnus
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| Acratocnus Fossil range: Pleistocene |
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 Acratocnus major, A. odontrigonus, A. simorhynchus
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Acratocnus is an extinct genus of ground sloth found in Cuba, Hispanola and Puerto Rico. One of the best studied species is the Puerto-Rican Ground Sloth, A. major.
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[edit] Classification
The Puerto Rican ground sloth, Acratocnus odontrigonus, and Anthony's ground sloth, A. major, are known from several poorly documented cave excavations in Northwestern Puerto Rico. As with all sloth fossils, these species of sloth have not been radiometrically dated.[1] It is suggested that Acratocnus survived into the late Pleistocene but disappeared from Northwestern Puerto Rico before the mid-Holocene, without trace of anthropogenic contact, though there lamentably is insufficient evidence to support this claim. The related Cuban ground sloth, Megalocnus rodens, is believed to have survived in the montane forests of Cuba, until the 16th century, when Europeans introduced rats and pigs onto the island.
[edit] Location
The species of Acratocnus were found on the islands of Puerto Rico, Cuba and Hispanola, where they inhabited the montane forests of the highlands. The various species are regarded as being semi-arboreal because of their (relatively speaking) small size and their large hooked claws.
[edit] Size
The various species of Acratocnus ranged in weight from 50 to 150 lbs, and were similar in size to living tree sloths (genera Choloepus and Bradypus).
[edit] Extinction
The Puerto Rican and Hispanolan ground sloth species went extinct during the late Pleistocene, with some species even surviving into historic times. The causes of their extinction may have been a combination of climatic changes, human hunting, and, with the last species, disruption of their habitats due to the introduction of pigs and rats.
