A new large Megathere from the latest Pleistocene of Northern Peru

FRANÇOIS, PUJOS

Jena, Alemania

Congreso; 6th International Congress of Vertebrate Morphology; 2001

Society of Vertebrate Morphology

    The subfamily Megatheriinae is known in America from the Friasian to the Lujanian. Two genera are currently recognized in the Pleistocene: the temperate Megatherium and the intertropical Eremotherium.A new large megatheriine Ground Sloth (probably Lujanian in age), has been recently discovered in the "Santa Rosa" cave, near the city of Celendin (Cajamarca department).    The specimen is a partial, non articulated skeleton, and represents the third megatheriine genus reported in the Pleistocene.    The most peculiar characters of the "Santa Rosa" Ground Sloth, are: the post palatine notch open to the anterior part of the M3, the skull which is proportionally larger and lower than Megatherium or Eremotherium; a quadrangular shaped scapula, the supraspinatus fossa occupied practically all the lateral side of the scapula, the greater tubercle of the humerus strongly reduced, the ectal facet of the astragalus proportionally much more voluminous than Megatherium or Eremotherium and whose the sulcus tali is practically closed.    Therefore, this animal, who could have been evolved endemically in the peruvian Andes, is morphologically very different to all the others Megatheriinae and present some characters unknown in the family Megatheriidae. The functional study of this specimen will bring new information about the locomotor behaviour of the Ground Sloths.