Schismotherium
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Schismotherium Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Pilosa |
| Superfamily: | Megatherioidea |
| Genus: | †Schismotherium Ameghino, 1887 |
| Type species | |
| Schismotherium fractum Ameghino, 1887 | |
| Other species | |
| |
Schismotherium is an extinct genus of megatherioid sloth that lived during the Santacrucian South American land mammal age of the Miocene epoch.
Schismotherium can be distinguished from the closely related Pelecyodon by a number of apomorphies. The dorsal region of the frontal bone of Schismotherium has a small postorbital process, along with anteriorly concave sutures with the nasal and maxilla. Schismotherium has very strong temporal lines characterised by a deep concavity separating them, in contrast to the slight concavity found in Pelecyodon.[1]