Eionaletherium

Eionaletherium
Temporal range: Late Miocene
Right and left femurs
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Superorder: Xenarthra
Order: Pilosa
Family: Mylodontidae
Genus: Eionaletherium
Rincón et al., 2015
Type species
Eionaletherium tanycnemius
Rincón et al., 2015

Eionaletherium (Greek, "shore wanderer beast") is a extinct genus of ground sloth of the family Mylodontidae endemic to the Venezuela region of South America during the Late Miocene.[1]

Like the semiaquatic genus Thalassocnus, Eionaletherium had an elongated tibia. However, since the bones do not exhibit pachyostosis, a hardening of the bones typical in aquatic animals, including Thalassocnus, the animal is believed to have been terrestrial.[2][3]

Discovery and etymology

The holotype bones of Eionaletherium - femurs, tibias, vertebrae, scapulae, astragalus and rib fragments - were discovered in the Urumaco Formation of Venezuela.[4][2] The relevant area of the formation had previously only yielded fossils of turtles and crocodiles.[2]

The genus name Eionaletherium comes from the Greek words eion (shore), ale (wanderer), and therium (beast), in reference to the palaeoenvironment of the Urumaco Formation. The species name tanycnemius comes from the Greek for "long leg". was described and named by Ascanio D. Rincón.[2]

See also

References

  1. "Descubren extraño fósil de perezoso gigante en desierto de Falcón". Bitacora.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Rincón, A. D.; McDonald, H. G.; Solórzano, A.; Flores, M. N.; Ruiz-Ramoni, D. (2015). "A new enigmatic Late Miocene mylodontoid sloth from northern South America". Royal Society Open Science 2 (2). doi:10.1098/rsos.140256.
  3. "Descubren extraño fósil de perezoso gigante en desierto de Falcón". Panorama
  4. "Giant extinct 'beach-walking' sloth species discovered in Venezuela". International Business Times, Hannah Osborne, February 27, 2015.
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