Glossotherium

Glossotherium Temporal range: late Pliocene to Pleistocene,
G. robustum in Vienna
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Xenarthra
Family:	†Mylodontidae
Subfamily:	†Lestodontinae
Tribe:	†Glossotheriini
Genus:	Glossotherium Owen, 1840
Species
G. robustum Owen 1842 G. chapadmalense

Glossotherium (literally "Tongue Beast") was a genus of ground sloth. It was a heavily built animal with a length of about 4 metres (13 ft) snout to tail-tip and a weight estimated at 1002.6 kg (2210.3 lbs), and could potentially assume a slight bipedal stance.

Fossils of this animal have been found in South America and Mexico. It is closely related to Paramylodon of North America, whose specimens have often been confused with it and assigned to Glossotherium, which in turn was initially assigned to Mylodon. The earliest Glossotherium specimens are known from the Pliocene of South America and are represented by the species, G. chapadmalense. All specimens of Pleistocene age are typically lumped into G. robustum and a few other questionable species. Further research is needed at the species level.

Due to its size and strength, Glossotherium would have had few natural enemies apart from sabre-toothed cats such as Smilodon. It is believed to have died out in the Pleistocene (1.8 million - 12,000 years ago). The most recent reported date is about 8700 BP.

Gallery

• 
  Restoration of G. robustum
• 
  Juvenile G. robustum