Contribution to better knowledge of the small land sloth Nothrotherium maquinense (Lund) Lydekker, 1889

Abstract

This paper presents the study of almost complet skeleton of the Nothrotherium maquinense (Lund), Lydekker, 1889, which was found in the cave "Gruta dos Brejões", situated in the Morro do Chapéu, Bahia State, Brazil. It is given a special emphasis to the parts of the skeleton which were not known up to now. A comparative study with the genus akin Nothroteriops, from North America is made, showing that Paula Couto (1971) was right when he separates both species in two different genera. Finally, a hypothesis of the evolutive line is offered based on the Argentina Miocene.