Giant sloth of the megateria: a description

Millions of years ago, boundless terrestrial expanses belonged to animals, whose appearance modern man can hardly imagine, because they have long since died out, leaving behind only the remains by which scientists painstakingly restore their appearance and habits. Once upon a time, amid the green hides of South and North America, gigantic sloths of megateria roamed. Giant animals the size of two elephants feasted juicy leaves from the tops of trees. A giant sloth pulled out the greens without difficulty, rising to his hind legs. The modern congenitor of this giant seems in comparison with him a tiny fur lump hanging from the branches of a tree.

Findings of researchers and discoveries of scientists

For the first time the remains of a giant sloth were discovered by Spanish colonists in 1789 in Argentina, near Buenos Aires. The indigenous inhabitants of Patagonia thought that the bones belong to a huge mole. According to local legend, one day he got out of the ground and was killed by the sunlight.

The viceroy of the Spanish colony of the Marquis of Loreto immediately sent the bones to Madrid. In the capital, the scientist Jose Garriga studied the remains of the "mole". Already in 1796 he published a scientific paper in which he described an ancient extinct animal.

Garriga compared him to an elephant, because the size of the South American beast was not inferior to him at all. However, his feet with huge feet were longer and heavier than the elephants, and the shape of the skull, as the scientist noted in his work, resembled the head of a sloth.

Due to its impressive size, the animal was called "megateria", which means "huge beast". So he was called naturalist Georges Cuvier, looking at the skeleton images that the Spaniards sent to the Paris Academy of Sciences. The French scientist, like Jose Garrigue, learned in an unknown beast an ancestor of a modern sloth.

General excitement around the extinct animal

Findings of researchers and discoveries of scientists have become a real sensation in Europe. Then the great German poet IV Goethe devoted an entire essay to the giant sloth. Museums to get his skeleton, were ready to give all of their annual budget. And King of Spain Carlos IV demanded to deliver this animal to Madrid. And the ruler did not care whether he was alive or dead. He naively believed that the New World, as it was then called America, is still populated with megacities.

The excitement around them did not subside until the middle of the XIX century, when the remains of dinosaurs were found. During this time in Patagonia, many researchers have visited. In addition to the bones of the megateria, traces were found on muddy banks of rivers, litter, remnants of skin and hair in caves. Due to the cold and dry climate of Patagonia, the remains are well preserved, which enabled paleontologists not only to recreate the appearance of the ancient beast with time, but also to describe its habits and diet.

The appearance of a giant megateric sloth

The giant sloth of the megateries reached a height of three meters. Moreover, the growth of the animal doubled when it rose to its hind legs. A giant beast weighing four tons in this position was twice as tall as an elephant. This is due in part to the length of the trunk of the sloth, which was six meters.

Megateria was covered with thick wool, and under it was extremely dense skin. The skin of a giant sloth was strengthened by small bone plaques. Such a cover made the megateria almost invulnerable. Harm to him could not cause even such a dangerous beast as a saber-toothed tiger.

The giant sloth had a wide pelvis, powerful paws with sickle-shaped claws, reaching a length of 17 cm, and an extraordinarily thick tail that reached the ground.

The head of the animal differed in small sizes in comparison with the massive body, and its muzzle had an elongated shape.

How did the giant sloths move?

Megateria did not climb trees like its modern descendant. Another Charles Darwin, who examined his remains in the XVIII century, noted this feature of the animal in one of his works. He imagined an absurd idea of the existence of plants capable of withstanding such a giant.

In the study of the remains brought by Darwin from Patagonia to England, Professor Richard Owen also participated. It was he who suggested that the megaterium moved around the earth. When walking a giant sloth like a modern anteater rested not on the whole foot, but on its edge, so as not to cling to the ground with claws. Because of this, he moved slowly and a little awkwardly.

Modern scientists say that the megaterium could walk on its hind legs. Thus, biomechanical studies conducted by A. Casin in 1996 showed that the structure of the skeleton allowed the giant sloth to move only on them. However, the uprightness of this beast remains to this day a contentious issue in the world of science.

Features of nutrition megacities

Megaterium belonged to an incomplete toothed mammal and was fed mainly by vegetation. The structure of his upper jaw indicates that the beast possessed a long upper lip of impressive dimensions, characteristic of herbivorous representatives of the animal world.

The giant land sloth rose to his hind legs, pulled the branches of the trees toward him, tore off juicy leaves, and also young shoots and ate them. His broad pelvis, massive feet and a thick long tail served as a support for him and allowed him, without any effort, to regale with greens. Until recently, scientists were sure that a sloth pulled leaves with an unusually long tongue. However, modern research has shown that the structure of his jaw prevented the formation of muscles that could hold him.

In addition to the foliage of the trees, the megateria also consumed root crops. He tore them from under the ground, using his long claws.

Could the megatery be a predator?

The megaterium could supposedly be partially carnivorous. The scientist M. S. Bargo conducted in 2001 a study of the dental apparatus of a giant sloth. It showed that he ate not only vegetable, but also meat food. Root teeth of the animal had a triangular shape and were sharp enough at the edges. With their help, a giant sloth was able to chew not only leaves, but also meat. Perhaps he contributed diversity to his diet, eating carrion, picking prey from predators, or hunting himself.

The megaterium had rather short elbows, due to which its forelimbs became unusually agile. A similar feature is mainly carnivorous animals. Thus, the megaterium possessed sufficient power and speed to attack, for example, glyptodonts. In addition, the results of biomechanical analysis showed that his giant claws could be used as a weapon in battles with other animals. Nevertheless, many scientists find the idea of the carnivore of this beast extremely dubious.

The way of life of the ancient beast

Regardless of whether the megaterics were aggressive or not, he did not have enemies. Moving through the forests and fields a massive animal could, without fear for its life, day and night.

Giant sloths, according to many scientists, strayed into small groups. There is also the opposite point of view, according to which these animals were lonely and settled in secluded caves separately, and the opposite sex individuals were next to each other only during mating and rearing of offspring.

When there were megacities and where did they live?

As shown by the radiocarbon analysis of the remains, the now extinct mammals appeared on Earth about two million years ago, during the Pliocene epoch. Initially, giant sloths inhabited the meadow and wooded parts of South America. Later they were able to adapt and to territories with arid climate. Bone animals researchers found not only in Argentina, but also in Bolivia, Peru and Chile. Some of the megatrices allegedly migrated to North America. This is evidenced by the remains of giant sloths discovered on the continent.

Possible causes of extinction of ancient animals

These fossil animals survived to the Pleistocene and died out about 8,000 years ago. The reason for this is why scientists are still arguing. Many believe that animals could not tolerate climate change. However, the fact that megacities have successfully adapted to new conditions for thousands of years is evidence of another reason for their extinction, namely, the appearance on the mainland of a man who mercilessly exterminated shaggy giants, hunting for their skins. Perhaps, because of the ancestors of the ancient Indians, the megateria died out. However, a sharp decline in the population and the subsequent disappearance of the species could be affected by both factors immediately.

Legends of surviving megacities

With science in the debate enter legends that a giant beast, the remains of which once found the Spaniards, exploring the New World, is still alive. Like a mythical snowman, he hides from people's eyes. It is rumored that the giant sloths settled at the foot of the modern Andes. Of course, the version that the ancient extinct animal is still walking through the expanses of South America is not convincing, but this romantic idea stirs people's imagination, forcing them to seek irrefutable proof of their own truth.