This educational illustration presents Jefferson’s Ground Sloth (Megalonyx jeffersonii), a giant extinct mammal from North America. Here’s a breakdown of the information provided:

🦣 Jefferson’s Ground Sloth (Megalonyx jeffersonii)

📍 Origin & Time Period:

• Originally from: South America

• Lived in: North America

• Time Range: Pleistocene Epoch (1.8 million – 11,000 years ago)

📐 Size & Build:

• Height (standing): Over 8 feet tall

• Weight: Up to 2,000 pounds

• Comparison: Roughly the size of a modern bison

🧬 Family & Relatives:

• Part of: A diverse group of extinct giant ground sloths

• Cousins include:

  • Eremotherium (up to 20 ft long)

  • Megatherium (nearly 11 ft tall, 13,228 lbs)

🔍 Description & Adaptations:

• Stood on hind legs using its tail like a tripod for support

• Massive claws for pulling down high vegetation

• Walked on the sides of its feet to avoid damaging claws

• Likely had a long tongue, used to grab leaves (similar to a giraffe or tree sloth)

🧒 Social Behavior:

• Believed to have been good parents, with calves staying close to mothers for extended periods

🦴 Skull & Relatives:

• Included a visual comparison with a giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) to show evolutionary similarities

• Notes on strong jaws, blunt snouts, and powerful limbs

✍️ Artist:

• Beth Zaiken, known for detailed paleoart