Phylum Chordata Order Xenarthra | Subfamily †Schismotheriinae Rank Genus | |
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Similar Xenarthra, Nothrotheriidae, Megatheriidae, Thalassocnus, Nothrotherium | ||
Hapalops is an extinct genus of ground sloth from the late Oligocene to Miocene of Brazil, Bolivia and Argentina in South America.
Though related to the giant Megatherium, Hapalops was much smaller, measuring about 1 metre (3.3 ft) in length. Like most extinct sloths it is categorized as a ground sloth, but it is believed that the smaller size of Hapalops allowed it to engage in some climbing behaviors.
Description
It had a robust body, short skull and long limbs with large, curved claws. When it did visit the ground the animal probably walked on the knuckles of its forelimbs, like a gorilla. Hapalops had very few teeth with no incisors, the mandible included only four pairs of teeth.
References
Hapalops Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA