Mylodontidae

Mylodontidae
Temporal range: Early Miocene-Holocene
~23–0.011 Ma
Paramylodon harlani at the Texas Memorial Museum, UTA
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Subclass: Theria
Infraclass: Eutheria
Superorder: Xenarthra
Order: Pilosa
Suborder: Folivora (partim)
Family: †Mylodontidae
Gill, 1872
Subfamilies

and see text

Mylodontidae is a family of extinct mammals within the order of Pilosa and suborder Folivora living from around 23 million years ago (Mya) to 11,000 years ago, existing for roughly 23 million years}}.[1] This family of ground sloths is related to the other families of extinct ground sloths, Megatheriidae and Nothrotheriidae. The only extant families of the suborder Folivora are Bradypodidae and Megalonychidae (the latter has extinct terrestrial species, as well as extant arboreal species). Phylogenetic analyses using homologous sequences from all extant edentate groups indicate that the Mylodontidae were more closely related to the Megalonychidae than to the Bradypodidae.[2]

The mylodontids together with their relatives form the Mylodonta, the second radiation of ground sloths. The discovery of their fossils in caverns associated with human occupation lead some early researchers to theorize that the early humans built corrals when they could procure a young ground sloth, to raise the animal to butchering size.[3] However, radiocarbon dates do not support simultaneous occupation of the site by humans and sloths.[4] Subfossil remains like coproliths, fur and skin have been discovered in some quantities.

Family: Mylodontidae Gill, 1872


References

  1. ↑ http://paleodb.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?action=checkTaxonInfo&taxon_no=43629&is_real_user=1 Mylodontidae: Paleobiology Database
  2. ↑ Hoss, Matthias; Dilling, Amrei; Currant, Andrew; Paabo, Svante (9 Jan 1996). "Molecular phylogeny of the extinct ground sloth Mylodon darwinii". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 93 (1): 181–185. PMC 40202 Freely accessible. PMID 8552600. doi:10.1073/pnas.93.1.181. Retrieved 2009-12-28.
  3. ↑ Woodward (1900)
  4. ↑ Naish, Darren (28 Nov 2005). "Fossils explained 51: Sloths". Geology Today. Geologists' Association, Geological Society of London and Blackwell Publishing. 21 (6): 232–238. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2451.2005.00538.x. Retrieved 2009-01-29.
  5. ↑ Rincón, Ascanio D.; Solórzano, Andrés; McDonald, H. Gregory; Flores, Mónica Núñez (7 April 2016). "Baraguatherium takumara, Gen. et Sp. Nov., the Earliest Mylodontoid Sloth (Early Miocene) from Northern South America". Journal of Mammalian Evolution. 24 (2): 179–191. doi:10.1007/s10914-016-9328-y.

Bibliography

Further reading

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