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{{Expand German|date=May 2022}}
{{Short description|Extinct family of ground sloths}}
{{Short description|Extinct family of ground sloths}}
{{Automatic taxobox
{{Automatic taxobox
| fossil_range = [[Miocene|Early Miocene]] ([[Colhuehuapian]])-[[Holocene|Early Holocene]] ([[Lujanian]])<br />~{{fossilrange|21|0.010}}
| fossil_range = [[Oligocene|Late Oligocene]] ([[Deseadan]])-[[Holocene|Early Holocene]] ([[Lujanian]])<br />~{{fossilrange|29|0.008}}
| image = Eremotherium.jpg
| image = Eremotherium.jpg
| image_caption = ''[[Eremotherium]]'' skeleton, [[National Museum of Natural History|NMNH]], [[Washington, DC]].
| image_caption = ''[[Eremotherium]]'' skeleton, [[National Museum of Natural History|NMNH]], [[Washington, DC]].
Line 14: Line 14:
** †''[[Prepoplanops]]''
** †''[[Prepoplanops]]''
** †''[[Prepotherium]]''
** †''[[Prepotherium]]''
** †''[[Proprepotherium]]
** †''[[Proprepotherium]]''
*†[[Megatheriinae]]
*†[[Megatheriinae]]
}}
}}
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'''Megatheriidae''' is a family of [[Extinction|extinct]] [[ground sloth]]s that lived from approximately 23 [[Annum|mya]]—11,000 years ago.<ref>[http://paleodb.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?action=checkTaxonInfo&taxon_no=43608& Paleobiology Database: Megatheriidae]</ref>
'''Megatheriidae''' is a family of [[Extinction|extinct]] [[ground sloth]]s that lived from approximately 23 [[Annum|mya]]—11,000 years ago.<ref>[http://paleodb.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?action=checkTaxonInfo&taxon_no=43608& Paleobiology Database: Megatheriidae]</ref>


Megatheriids appeared during the [[Miocene|Early Miocene]] ([[Colhuehuapian]] in the [[South American land mammal age|SALMA classification]]), some 21 million years ago, in [[South America]]. The group includes the heavily built ''[[Megatherium]]'' (given its name 'great beast' by [[Georges Cuvier]]<ref>G. Cuvier (1796)</ref>) and ''[[Eremotherium]]''. An early genus that was originally considered a megatheriid, the more slightly built ''[[Hapalops]]'', reached a length of about {{convert|1.2|m|ft}}. The nothrotheres have recently been placed in their own family, [[Nothrotheriidae]].<ref name = "Muizen2004a">{{cite journal
Megatheriids appeared during the [[Oligocene|Late Oligocene]] ([[Deseadan]] in the [[South American land mammal age|SALMA classification]]), some 29 million years ago, in [[South America]]. The group includes the heavily built ''[[Megatherium]]'' (given its name 'great beast' by [[Georges Cuvier]]<ref>G. Cuvier (1796)</ref>) and ''[[Eremotherium]]''. An early genus that was originally considered a megatheriid, the more slightly built ''[[Hapalops]]'', reached a length of about {{convert|1.2|m|ft}}. The nothrotheres have recently been placed in their own family, [[Nothrotheriidae]].<ref name = "Muizen2004a">{{cite journal
| last = Muizon
| last = Muizon
| first = C. de
| first = C. de
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| url = http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.1671/2429a
| url = http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.1671/2429a
| doi = 10.1671/2429a
| doi = 10.1671/2429a
| bibcode = 2004JVPal..24..387D
| s2cid = 83732878
| s2cid = 83732878
| accessdate = 2009-01-29}}</ref>
| accessdate = 2009-01-29}}</ref>
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The skeletal structure of these ground sloths indicates that the animals were massive. Their thick [[bone]]s and even thicker [[joint]]s (especially those on the hind legs) gave their appendages tremendous power that, combined with their size and fearsome [[claw]]s, provided a formidable defense against predators.
The skeletal structure of these ground sloths indicates that the animals were massive. Their thick [[bone]]s and even thicker [[joint]]s (especially those on the hind legs) gave their appendages tremendous power that, combined with their size and fearsome [[claw]]s, provided a formidable defense against predators.


The earliest megatheriid in [[North America]] was ''[[Sibotherium]]'' which arrived 5.3 million years ago, after crossing the recently formed [[Panama]]nian land bridge. At more than five tons in weight, 6 meters in length, and able to reach as high as {{convert|17|ft|m}}, it was taller than an [[African bush elephant]] bull. Unlike relatives, this species retained a [[plesiomorph]]ic extra claw. While other species of ''Eremotherium'' had four fingers with only two or three claws, ''E. eomigrans'' had five fingers, four of them with claws up to nearly a foot long.<ref>De Iuliis and Cartelle (1999)</ref>
The earliest megatheriid in [[North America]] was ''[[Sibotherium]]'' which arrived 5.3 million years ago, after crossing the recently formed [[Panama]]nian land bridge. At more than five tons in weight, {{convert|6|m|ft}} in length, and able to reach as high as {{convert|17|ft|m|order=flip}}, ''[[Eremotherium]]'' was taller than an [[African bush elephant]] bull. Unlike relatives, this species retained a [[plesiomorph]]ic extra claw. While other species of ''Eremotherium'' had four fingers with only two or three claws, ''E. eomigrans'' had five fingers, four of them with claws up to nearly {{convert|1|ft|cm|order=flip}} long.<ref>De Iuliis and Cartelle (1999)</ref>


== Phylogeny ==
== Phylogeny ==
{{Phylogeny/Megatherioidea}}
The following sloth family phylogenetic tree is based on collagen and mitochondrial DNA sequence data (see Fig. 4 of Presslee ''et al''., 2019).<ref name="Presslee2019">{{cite journal|last1= Presslee|first1= S.|last2= Slater|first2=G. J.|last3= Pujos|first3= F.|last4= Forasiepi|first4=A. M.|last5= Fischer|first5= R.|last6= Molloy|first6= K.|last7= Mackie|first7= M.|last8= Olsen|first8=J. V.|last9= Kramarz|first9= A.|last10= Taglioretti|first10= M.|last11= Scaglia|first11= F.|last12= Lezcano|first12= M.|last13= Lanata|first13=J. L.|last14= Southon|first14= J.|last15= Feranec|first15= R.|last16= Bloch|first16= J.|last17= Hajduk|first17= A.|last18= Martin|first18=F. M.|last19= Gismondi|first19= R. S.|last20= Reguero|first20 =M.|last21=de Muizon|first21= C.|last22= Greenwood|first22= A.|last23= Chait|first23=B. T.|last24= Penkman|first24= K.|author24-link= Kirsty Penkman |last25= Collins|first25= M.|last26= MacPhee|first26= R.D.E.|title= Palaeoproteomics resolves sloth relationships|journal=Nature Ecology & Evolution|volume= 3|issue= 7|pages= 1121–1130|year= 2019|doi= 10.1038/s41559-019-0909-z|pmid= 31171860|s2cid= 174813630|url= http://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/147061/1/5426_3_merged_1554730549.pdf}}</ref>

{{clade | style = font-size: 100%;line-height:100%
| label1 = &nbsp; [[Folivora]] &nbsp;
|1={{clade
|1=[[Megalocnidae]]† (Caribbean sloths)
|2={{clade
|1={{clade
|1={{clade
|1={{clade
⚫
|label1 = &nbsp; [[Nothrotheriidae]] &nbsp;
⚫
|label2 = &nbsp; '''Megatheriidae''' &nbsp;
|1=''[[Nothrotheriops|Nothrotheriops shastensis]]''† &nbsp; &nbsp;
|2=''[[Megatherium|Megatherium americanum]]''†
}}
|2={{clade
⚫
|label1 = &nbsp; [[Megalonychidae]] &nbsp;
|label2 = [[Bradypodidae]]<br/>&nbsp; (three-fingered sloths) &nbsp;
|1=''[[Megalonyx|Megalonyx jeffersoni]]''†
|2={{clade
|1=''[[Bradypus torquatus|B. torquatus]]''
|2={{clade
|1=''[[Bradypus pygmaeus|B. pygmaeus]]''
|2={{clade
|1=''[[Bradypus tridactylus|B. tridactylus]]''
|2=''[[Bradypus variegatus|B. variegatus]]''
}}
}}
}}
}}
}}
|2={{clade
|1=[[Scelidotheriidae]]†
|2={{clade
|1=[[Choloepodidae]] (two-fingered sloths)
|2=[[Mylodontidae]]†
}}
}}
|grouplabelstyle1=vertical-align:left;
|grouplabel1={{clade label|'''Megatherioidea'''|color=red|width=8em}}
|bar1=red
|grouplabel2={{clade label|'''Mylodontoidea'''|color=green|width=7.5em}}
|bar2=green
}}
}}
}}
}}


The following phylogeny is based on Varela, Tambusso, McDonald and Fariña, 2018 : <ref name="Varela2018">{{cite journal|last1= Varela|first1= L.|last2= Tambusso|first2=P. S.|last3= McDonald|first3= H. G.|last4= Fariña|first4=R. A.|title= Phylogeny, Macroevolutionary Trends and Historical Biogeography of Sloths: Insights From a Bayesian Morphological Clock Analysis|volume=68|issue= 2|pages= 204-218|journal= Systematic Biology|year= 2018|doi= 10.1093/sysbio/syy058}}</ref>
The following phylogeny is based on Varela ''et al''. 2019.<ref name="Varela2018">{{cite journal|last1= Varela|first1= L.|last2= Tambusso|first2=P. S.|last3= McDonald|first3= H. G.|last4= Fariña|first4=R. A.|title= Phylogeny, Macroevolutionary Trends and Historical Biogeography of Sloths: Insights From a Bayesian Morphological Clock Analysis|volume=68|issue= 2|pages= 204–218|journal= Systematic Biology|year= 2018|doi= 10.1093/sysbio/syy058|pmid= 30239971}}</ref>


{{clade| style=font-size:85%; line-height:85%
{{clade| style=font-size:75%;line-height:75%
|label1=[[Sloth|Folivora]]
|label1=[[Sloth|Folivora]]
|1={{clade
|1={{clade
Line 102: Line 57:
|1=''[[Bradypus]]''
|1=''[[Bradypus]]''
|2={{clade
|2={{clade
|label1=Mylodontidae&nbsp;
|label1=[[Mylodontidae]]&nbsp;
|label2=Megatherioidea&nbsp;
|label2=[[Megatherioidea]]&nbsp;
|1={{clade
|1={{clade
|1=''[[Nematherium]]''
|1=''[[Nematherium]]''
|2={{clade
|2={{clade
|label1=Scelidotheriinae&nbsp;
|label1=[[Scelidotheriinae]]&nbsp;
|1={{clade
|1={{clade
|1=''[[Analcitherium]]''
|1=''[[Analcitherium]]''
Line 130: Line 85:
|1=''[[Pseudoprepotherium]]''
|1=''[[Pseudoprepotherium]]''
|2={{clade
|2={{clade
|label1=Orophodontinae ?&nbsp;
|label1=[[Orophodontinae]]?&nbsp;
|label2=Mylodontinae&nbsp;
|label2=[[Mylodontinae]]&nbsp;
|1={{clade
|1={{clade
|1=''[[Brievabradys]]''
|1=''[[Brievabradys]]''
Line 137: Line 92:
|1=''[[Octodontotherium]]''
|1=''[[Octodontotherium]]''
|2={{clade
|2={{clade
|1=''[[Paraoctodontherium]]''
|1=''[[Paroctodontotherium]]''
|2={{clade
|2={{clade
|1=''[[Octomylodon]]''
|1=''[[Octomylodon]]''
Line 186: Line 141:
}}
}}
|2={{clade
|2={{clade
|label2=Megatheria&nbsp;
|label1=[[Megalonychidae]]&nbsp;
|label2=[[Megatheria]]&nbsp;
|1={{clade
|1={{clade
|1=''[[Hapalops]]''
|1=''[[Hapalops]]''
Line 198: Line 154:
|1=''[[Megalonychotherium]]''
|1=''[[Megalonychotherium]]''
|2={{clade
|2={{clade
⚫
|label1=[[Megalonychinae]]&nbsp;
|1={{clade
|1={{clade
|1=''[[Pliometanastes]]''
|1=''[[Pliometanastes]]''
Line 214: Line 171:
|1=''[[Pliomorphus]]''
|1=''[[Pliomorphus]]''
|2={{clade
|2={{clade
|label1=[[Megalocninae]]&nbsp;
|label2=[[Choloepodinae]]&nbsp;
|1={{clade
|1={{clade
|1=''[[Megalocnus]]''
|1=''[[Megalocnus]]''
Line 236: Line 195:
|1=''[[Analcimorphus]]''
|1=''[[Analcimorphus]]''
|2={{clade
|2={{clade
⚫
|label1=[[Nothrotheriidae]]&nbsp;
⚫
|label2='''Megatheriidae'''&nbsp;
|1={{clade
|1={{clade
|label1=[[Thalassocninae]]&nbsp;
|label2=[[Nothrotheriinae]]&nbsp;
|1=''[[Thalassocnus]]''
|1=''[[Thalassocnus]]''
|2={{clade
|2={{clade
Line 252: Line 215:
|2={{clade
|2={{clade
|1=''[[Aymaratherium]]''
|1=''[[Aymaratherium]]''
|2="''[[Xyophorus]]''"
|2=''[[Xyophorus]]''
}}
}}
}}
}}
Line 259: Line 222:
}}
}}
|2={{clade
|2={{clade
|label1=[[Planopsinae]]&nbsp;
|label2=[[Megatheriinae]]&nbsp;
|1={{clade
|1={{clade
|1=''[[Prepoplanops]]''
|1=''[[Prepoplanops]]''

Latest revision as of 00:20, 1 April 2024

Megatheriidae
Temporal range: Late Oligocene (Deseadan)-Early Holocene (Lujanian)
~29–0.008 Ma
Eremotherium skeleton, NMNH, Washington, DC.
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Pilosa
Clade: †Megatheria
Family: †Megatheriidae
J. E. Gray 1821
Type genus
†Megatherium americanum
Subgroups
Closeup of hand, showing claws
Closeup of skull

Megatheriidae is a family of extinct ground sloths that lived from approximately 23 mya—11,000 years ago.[3]

Megatheriids appeared during the Late Oligocene (Deseadan in the SALMA classification), some 29 million years ago, in South America. The group includes the heavily built Megatherium (given its name 'great beast' by Georges Cuvier[4]) and Eremotherium. An early genus that was originally considered a megatheriid, the more slightly built Hapalops, reached a length of about 1.2 metres (3.9 ft). The nothrotheres have recently been placed in their own family, Nothrotheriidae.[5]

The skeletal structure of these ground sloths indicates that the animals were massive. Their thick bones and even thicker joints (especially those on the hind legs) gave their appendages tremendous power that, combined with their size and fearsome claws, provided a formidable defense against predators.

The earliest megatheriid in North America was Sibotherium which arrived 5.3 million years ago, after crossing the recently formed Panamanian land bridge. At more than five tons in weight, 6 metres (20 ft) in length, and able to reach as high as 5.2 metres (17 ft), Eremotherium was taller than an African bush elephant bull. Unlike relatives, this species retained a plesiomorphic extra claw. While other species of Eremotherium had four fingers with only two or three claws, E. eomigrans had five fingers, four of them with claws up to nearly 30 centimetres (1 ft) long.[6]

Phylogeny[edit]

The following sloth family phylogenetic tree is based on collagen and mitochondrial DNA sequence data (see Fig. 4 of Presslee et al., 2019).[7]

Folivora

The following phylogeny is based on Varela et al. 2019.[8]

Folivora

Pseudoglyptodon

Bradypodidae 

Bradypus

Eufolivora 
Mylodontidae 
Megatherioidea 

References[edit]

  1. ^ Eli Amson; Christian de Muizon; Timothy J. Gaudin (2017). "A reappraisal of the phylogeny of the Megatheria (Mammalia: Tardigrada), with an emphasis on the relationships of the Thalassocninae, the marine sloths" (PDF). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 179 (1): 217–236. doi:10.1111/zoj.12450.
  2. ^ Varela, L.; Tambusso, P.S.; McDonald, H.G.; Fariña, R.A.; Fieldman, M. (2019). "Phylogeny, Macroevolutionary Trends and Historical Biogeography of Sloths: Insights From a Bayesian Morphological Clock Analysis". Systematic Biology. 68 (2): 204–218. doi:10.1093/sysbio/syy058. PMID 30239971.
  3. ^ Paleobiology Database: Megatheriidae
  4. ^ G. Cuvier (1796)
  5. ^ Muizon, C. de; McDonald, H. G.; Salas, R.; Urbina, M. (June 2004). "The Youngest Species of the Aquatic Sloth Thalassocnus and a Reassessment of the Relationships of the Nothrothere Sloths (Mammalia: Xenarthra)". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 24 (2). Society of Vertebrate Paleontology: 387–397. Bibcode:2004JVPal..24..387D. doi:10.1671/2429a. S2CID 83732878. Retrieved 2009-01-29.
  6. ^ De Iuliis and Cartelle (1999)
  7. ^ Presslee, S.; Slater, G. J.; Pujos, F.; Forasiepi, A. M.; Fischer, R.; Molloy, K.; et al. (2019). "Palaeoproteomics resolves sloth relationships" (PDF). Nature Ecology & Evolution. 3 (7): 1121–1130. Bibcode:2019NatEE...3.1121P. doi:10.1038/s41559-019-0909-z. PMID 31171860. S2CID 174813630. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 September 2020. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
  8. ^ Varela, L.; Tambusso, P. S.; McDonald, H. G.; Fariña, R. A. (2018). "Phylogeny, Macroevolutionary Trends and Historical Biogeography of Sloths: Insights From a Bayesian Morphological Clock Analysis". Systematic Biology. 68 (2): 204–218. doi:10.1093/sysbio/syy058. PMID 30239971.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Megatheriidae&oldid=1216603965"