< home # store # services # articles # game # app #contact >

Characteristic of eremotherium was its robust physique with comparatively long limbs. Front and hind feets. Especially representative three fingers
However, the skull is relatively gracile, teeth were uniform and high-crowned. Like today’s sloths, eremotherium was purely herbivorous and probably a mixed feeder. Dining on leaves and grasses.

It belonged to the family megatheriidae, which includes several other extinct giant ground sloths
They had a slow-moving, slothful lifestyle. Their large size, robust limbs and movement. Suggest they were adapted for protection, and a semi-fossorial (partially burrowing) existence.

Here’s some more detailed information
It was found in southern parts of north American and northern parts of south America.
There are two species: Eremotherium laurillardi; and, E. eomigrans (though from the pliocene)(1).

Around 1842, famous Danish pleistocene/holocene archeologist, Peter Wilhelm Lund collected a large juvenile sloths tooth. That individual had been collected from the pleistocene deposits around Lagoa Santa, in Brazil. In the caves there. They were alongside thousands of other megafauna fossils.

The range was described as early as the 1840s and 1850s. It was thought to include megatherium too. Savannah Georgia scholars had described some of the fossils from Skidaway island. From caves and wetlands in the area. These were all described in more detail, by Joseph Leidy in 1855. But they were not all referred to eremotherium until the late 20th century.

Lund originally named it as a species of its relative Megatherium but was incorrect
It was Austrian paleontologist Franz Spillman, who later created the Eremotherium genus name. After noticing its distinctness from other megatheriids.

Did you know? “Steppe desert beasts” bones and remains are found in more than 130 sites worldwide(2).
Both genera reached the size of today’s elephants and were among the largest mammals in the Americas.

Areas found and range
Finds of Eremotherium are common and widespread. They lived in southern north America: Texas, Florida, Georgia, even Carolinas. Central America, and northern south America. Fossils are found as far north as south Carolina in the United States. And, as far south, as Rio Grande Do Sul in Brazil. Now many complete skeletons have been unearthed.

Description & Size
Overall length could be close to 20 feet or 6 meters. With a height of 2 meters (or 6.56 feet). But on its hind legs they could be almost 4 meters. Close to 13 feet. Weight estimates have varied. With a range from 3 to 6.5 tons. Compared to modern sloths this is extremely large. With stronger, longer limbs; claws and big teeth; as well as, a tail for balancing and strength. It would have ate alot of leaves, grasses, plants and herbivore snacks.

Skulls and Skeletons
The heads have been recorded at 65cm length, 33 cm wide, and about 19cm height (almost 8 inches). They skulls were large but slightly lighter than megatheriums. And, more coned shaped. Its eye socket was shallow, small and slightly lower. And, its forehead line was not as curvey, and nasil bone shortened.

There are some other differences in the jaw bones (premaxiallry), and, occipital (spine) bone
Eremotherium had 18 teeth resembling molars. They were quite long at around 21-22cm (8.1-8.7″). They had no roots or enamel. And, they had an ability to keep strong and growing. While still grinding lots of food, and maintaining their size. Except for the front ones that were different. They would break off or down more frequently.

By now, these giant creatures skeletons have been formed and sequenced. Their backbones massive Making the tail look short. But some of its greatest strength was actually here. It’s femur is the largest bone. At 89cm it was nearly 1 meter long. At 45cm, it was almost a half meter wide too. Supporting all that weight, it’s tibias and fibulas, were also very strong.

Most had long claws, formed on there hands and feet. With fingers on digits 3 to 5. The two inners usually fused together with some element of carpus

Palaeobiology & Locomotion
Like typical sloth stereotypes. Locomotion was rather slow. Eremotherium was able to stand up on its hindlegs. Pulling branches and twigs with its hands, as well as defensive strikes. Its tail has been compared to armadillos and anteaters with a vertebrae and unique tail shaped muscles. Though, because of its large size, very strong.

They were unable to perform digging activities like other sloth though. Or, it has not been proven.

Social behaviour
Because of finds involving groups of the megafauna. Scientists continually discuss if eremotherium lived in heards, or groups. In El Bajion, Chiapas, Mexico. Groups have been found. In Tanque Loma, Santa Elena, Ecuador. A massive group, of 22 was found. Scientists even discovered 19 at a sinkhole in Jirau, Brazil. But this is thought to have been accumulated. Over a long period of time; by endangerment, fire, or, a predator. Climate or weather; poisoning; by accident. We don’t know.

Diet
These giant cuddly creatures forged in open landscapes. While also in large closed forests perimeters. Close to scrubs and trees. Its snout, large non enamel teeth, and strong jaw. Had a large total chewing surface. Allowing it to mowe down, on large amounts of plants, grasses, scrubs, trees, and foliage.

Given its million year plus life span. It is proven the eremotherium could adapt its diet. To the respective local and climatic conditions of many regions.

Disappearance
The extinction of Eremotherium and other giant ground sloths is thought to be related to a combination of factors. It’s too bad. Their disappearance co-incides with other megafauna too. And, the quaternary extinction event; as well as, climate change and human activities. As climates changed. These large herbivores could have struggled with disease, or to find enough food. Additionally, human hunting, habitat destruction, likely contributed to their extinction.

About 10,000 years ago they went extinct.

Today, Eremotherium is known from its grande fossil remains. Scientists study these bits and pieces to learn more about the biology, behavior, and ecological role of these great timely creatures.

Check them out, with some more neolithic architecture today!

Cite: 1) Iuliis, Gerardo; Cartelle, Castor (December 1999). “A new giant megatheriine ground sloth (Mammalia: Xenarthra: Megatheriidae) from the late Blancan to early Irvingtonian of Florida” (ht
tps://doi.org/10.1111%2Fj.1096-3642.1999.tb01383.x). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 127 (4): 495–515. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.1999.tb01383.x (https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fj.1096-3642.1999.tb01383.x). S2CID 84951254 (https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:84951254).

2) Bruno Andrés Than-Marchese, Luis Enrique Gomez-Perez, Jesús Albert Diaz-Cruz, Gerardo Carbot-Chanona and Marco Antonio Coutiño-José: Una nueva localidad con restos de Eremotherium laurillardi (Xenarthra: Megateriidae) in Chiapas, Mexico: possible evidence de gregarismo en la especie. VI Jornadas Paleontológicas y I Simposio de Paleontología en el Sureste de México: 100 years de paleontología en Chiapas, 2012, p. 50

Bibliography:
Cástor Cartelle and Gerardo De Iuliis: Eremotherium laurillardi: The Panamerican Late Pleistocene megatheriid sloth. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 15(4), 1995, pp. 830–841 ( online )

Leidy, Joseph (1855). A Memoir on the Extinct Sloth Tribe of North America. Smithsonian Institution.

Hodgson, W. B., & Habersham, J. C. (1846). Memoir on the Megatherium, and Other Extinct Gigantic Quadrupeds of the Coast of Georgia: With Observations on Its Geologic Feature (Vol. 10). Barlett & Welford.

Gillette, David D. (1977). “Catalogue of Type Specimens of Fossil Vertebrates, Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia Part VI: Index, Additions, and Corrections”. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. 129: 203–211. JSTOR 4064747 (https://www.jstor.org/stable/4064747).

Hodgson, W. B., & Habersham, J. C. (1846). Memoir on the Megatherium, and Other Extinct Gigantic Quadrupeds of the Coast of Georgia: With Observations on Its Geologic Feature (Vol.10). Barlett & Welford.

Giuseppe Tito: New remains of Eremotherium laurillardi (Lund, 1842) (Megatheriidae, Xenarthra) from the coastal region of Ecuador. Journal of South American Earth Sciences 26, 2008, pp. 424-434

s of Fossil Vertebrates, Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia Part VI: Index, Additions, and Corrections”. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. 129: 203–211. JSTOR 4064747 (https://www.jstor.org/stable/4064747).

Hodgson, W. B., & Habersham, J. C. (1846). Memoir on the Megatherium, and Other Extinct Gigantic Quadrupeds of the Coast of Georgia: With Observations on Its Geologic Feature (Vol.10). Barlett & Welford.

Giuseppe Tito: New remains of Eremotherium laurillardi (Lund, 1842) (Megatheriidae, Xenarthra) from the coastal region of Ecuador. Journal of South American Earth Sciences 26, 2008, pp. 424-434