Sloth

Sloths belong to the group called Xenarthrans, formerly called Edentata, including anteaters, glyptodonts, armadillos and sloths. Those from Florida evolved in South America. Most fossil xenarthrans have no enamel on their teeth, but the teeth continued to grow throughout the life of the animal so as to compensate for this.
There were basically three different types or genus of sloths in Florida, the mylodontids, the megalonychids, and the megatheres. The first includes the Thinobastides in the Miocene, and the small Glossotherium chapadmalense and the larger Paramylodon harlani. These are ones which have the straight, more rounded in cross-section claw cores.

The second group are the megalonychids which arrived in the late Miocene and lasted until the late Pleistocene. These start with the Pliometanastes and grow progressively larger through M. curvidens, (early Pliocene), leptostomus, (late Pliocene-early Pleistocene) M. wheatleyi, and M. jeffersoni. These sloths had more curved, flat claw cores, as did the eremotheres. In the teeth that follow, the smaller teeth are those of the earlier sloths.

The third type includes the enormous eremothere and the much smaller Nothrotheriops texanum. Both of these are relatively more scarce in Florida than the other two types. The large Eremotherium teeth are often found split in half. Indeed, all sloth teeth are fragile and need careful handling.

Sloth claw & digit Paramylodon harlani Pleistocene Columbia Co. FL
claw alone, 2 3/4" straight across $275 order f486
COMMENTS: small amount of damage on top of claw as seen in picture, no restoration, no repair. Overall excellent condition. From the Santa Fe River.

Sloth claw Megalonyx jeffersonii Pleistocene Dixie Co. FL
2 1/4" $145 order f514
COMMENTS: excellent condition, great price on this one!

Sloth claw Megalonyx jeffersonii Pleistocene Dixie Co. FL
2 1/4" $115 order f503
COMMENTS: tiny tip damage but otherwise complete. Juvenile, proximal portion not yet hardened.

GIANT GROUND SLOTH Eremotherium Pliocene-Pleistocene Taylor Co. FL
1 3/4" wide by 3 3/8" tall $250 order f584
COMMENTS: very nice specimen mounted on a spalted magnolia base with brass mount and label.

GIANT GROUND SLOTH Eremotherium Pliocene-Pleistocene Columbia Co. FL
2" wide by 2 1/4" tall $230 order f508
COMMENTS: wide tooth mounted on a spalted magnolia base.

MEGATHERIUM PATELLA Taylor Co. FL

appx. 4 1/2" by 4 1/2" $125 order f618
COMMENTS: extremely rare piece. Any eremothere material is difficult to acquire, and the patella is almost never seen. Compare to the mastdon and mammoth. This piece is in perfect condition. Well preserved with a coat of Butvar.

SLOTH KNUCKLE probably Paramylodon harlani Pleistocene Taylor Co. FL

2" $25 order f617
COMMENTS: second digit behind the claw. Excellent condition.

PATHOLOGICAL FUSED SLOTH PHALANGES probably Paramylodon harlani Pleistocene Taylor Co. FL

3 1/2" $75 order f617
COMMENTS: second digit behind the claw. Excellent condition. Digits are totally and solidly fused. Very old sloth, probably extremely painful to walk, as the toes would not bend.

Sloth astragalus Paramylodon harlani Pleistocene Madison Co. FL
5 1/2" by 5 1/2" $50 order f608
COMMENTS: tiny bit of restoration, excellent condition, large sloth.

Sacrum Paramylodon harlani Pleistocene Taylor Co. FL
8" $50 order f586
COMMENTS: solid, large, unusual fossil not usually found.

Scelidotherium sp. Pleistocene Argentina
2 3/4" $125 order f577
COMMENTS: two excellent teeth, rare fossil and great condition. Scelidotherium is an extinct genus of actively mobile ground sloth of the family Mylodontidae, native to South America during the middle Pleistocene epoch. It lived from 780,000—11,000 years ago. It is characterized by an elongated head, a bit similar to an anteater. In fossil distribution, it is known almost exclusively from Argentina, but its distribution may have extended beyond. .In his journal, Darwin reports the finding of a nearly perfect fossil Scelidotherium in Punta Alta in 1832. Owen (1840) recognized the true characters of the remains and named them Scelidotherium, which means "femur beast" to reflect the distinctive proportions of that skeletal element. They were 1.1 meters tall and might have weighed up to 6000 lbs..

Thanks to Ladyofhats for permission to use her nice pictures!

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									Fla miocene

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									Fla miocene