noun
- An extinct ground sloth of the Pleistocene epoch, native to South America, characterized by a stocky build and powerful limbs.
Usage: paleontology; often capitalized as a genus name (Mylodon)
Examples
- The mylodon was a large herbivorous mammal that roamed South America during the Ice Age.
- Fossils of mylodons have been discovered in caves throughout Argentina and Chile.
- Unlike modern tree sloths, the mylodon was a terrestrial animal adapted to walking on the ground.
- Scientists believe the mylodon went extinct approximately 10,000 years ago.
- The mylodon's powerful claws suggest it may have used them for digging and foraging.