Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Pilosa
Family: Megatheriidae
It is family of ground sloths that extinct from the world about 11,000 years ago. It roamed on the lands of today's North America and South America. It came into existence about 23 million years ago and existing for approximately 22.89 million years.
Megatheriids appeared in the early Oligocene some around 25 million years ago. The group includes the heavily built Megatherium and Eremotherium. An early megatheriid, Hapalops reached a length of about 1.2 meters.
From the structure of the skeleton of megatheriid it is confirmed that they were massive. Their thick bones and even thicker joints gave their appendages tremendous power that combined with their size and fearsome claws, provided a formidable defense against predators.
Family Tree
Megatheriidae
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