Explore this animal in Size of Extinct Animals ↗
299 / Cenozoic
Mylodon
Mylodon darwinii
Thick hide reinforced by tiny bony nodules protected this large ground sloth.
View original image · 1536 × 1024- Time range
- About 2.6 million–11,000 years ago
- Final stage
- End of the Pleistocene
- Geographic range
- Grassland, scrub and caves · Southern South America
01 / DEFINITION & ECOLOGY
What was Mylodon?
Mylodon (Mylodon darwinii) was an extinct organism known from About 2.6 million–11,000 years ago, with a range in Grassland, scrub and caves · Southern South America.
Life and ecology
Mylodon used strong forelimbs and broad claws to pull vegetation while moving between open Patagonian habitats and caves.
02 / DISAPPEARANCE
Why did Mylodon disappear?
Rapid warming, vegetation change and human pressure probably combined in its extinction.
03 / EVIDENCE
How do scientists know about Mylodon?
Skeletons, dung, hair and preserved hide from caves provide unusually direct evidence.
04 / SOURCES & FURTHER READING
Check the source record
Use the scientific name to compare taxonomy, occurrence records and the fossil record. Database coverage and classifications may differ.
05 / REVISION HISTORY
How has this record changed?
- Verified authoritative entity sources and added three responsive reconstruction sizes.
- Initial bilingual species record published.
06 / CORRECTIONS & ADDITIONS