Pseudoglyptodon
Pseudoglyptodon | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Pilosa |
Suborder: | Folivora |
Genus: | †Pseudoglyptodon Engelmann 1987 |
Species | |
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Pseudoglyptodon is a genus of extinct sloths from South America. The type species is Pseudoglyptodon sallaensis.[1]
Description
[edit]Fossils of the genus have been found in the Mustersan Sarmiento Formation of Argentina, in the Tinguirirican (Late Eocene to Early Oligocene) Abanico Formation in the Tinguiririca valley in the Cordillera Principal of the Chilean Andes and the Deseadan Salla Formation of Bolivia.[1] P.chilensis is known from a damaged skull with mandible and some damaged skull fragments. The species can differentiated from others based on a number of features: it is larger, has thinner teeth and less angled cusps on the molars. The discovery of this species lead researchers to the conclusion that the genus Pseudoglyptodon is the closest relative of the sloths depending on how the word "sloth" is defined.[2]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Pseudoglyptodon at Fossilworks.org
- ^ McKenna, M.C., Wyss, A.R. & Flynn, J.J. 2006. Paleogene pseudoglyptodont xenarthrans from central Chile and Argentine Patagonia. American Museum Novitates 3536:1-18.
- Prehistoric sloths
- Eocene xenarthrans
- Oligocene xenarthrans
- Eocene mammals of South America
- Oligocene mammals of South America
- Deseadan
- Tinguirirican
- Divisaderan
- Mustersan
- Paleogene Argentina
- Fossils of Argentina
- Paleogene Bolivia
- Fossils of Bolivia
- Paleogene Chile
- Fossils of Chile
- Fossil taxa described in 1987
- Golfo San Jorge Basin
- Sarmiento Formation
- Prehistoric mammal stubs