#lestodon

Party like a ground sloth, because it’s Fossil Friday! This image, snapped circa 1957 depicts giant sloths on display in the Museum. During the Pleistocene, a wide array of ground sloths lumbered across North and South America. Some, like the island-dwelling Megalocnus rodens, evolved to be long-distance swimmers. Others, like the mighty Megatherium, were among the largest land mammals to ever live. The biggest ground sloths could have weighed up to 8,800 lbs (4,000 kg)—the size of an elephant! Most of these mammals died out at the end of the Pleistocene. There is also evidence that ground sloths and early humans used the same caves, but not necessarily at the same time.

See giant ground sloths and more on the Museum's fourth floor! We're open daily from 10 am–5 pm. Plan your visit.

My 25 years of palaeoart chronology…

In 2020 I illustrated LOCKED IN TIME, written by Dr Dean Lomax - Palaeontologist. Here's my "Natural Born Diggers" painting, depicting two young Lestodon playing in the dirt and adults digging tunnels behind.

Another sketch brought to you by #paleostream

Giant ground sloths such as Lestodon lived in South America and became extinct 30,000 years ago. Directly related to sloths that are still alive today, Lestodon were far bigger, measuring approximately 15 feet from head to tail and weighing an estimated 5,710 pounds! There is evidence that ground sloths and early humans used the same caves, but not necessarily at the same time. Lestodon is considered an "armored mammal," as evidenced by the bony plates found in its skin.