Eremotherium
Encyclopedia
Eremotherium is an extinct genus
of actively mobile ground sloth
of the family
Megatheriidae
, endemic to North America and South America during the Pleistocene
epoch. It lived from 1.8 mya
—11,000 years ago existing (as a genus) for approximately .
by Spillmann (1948), Carroll (1988) and Cisneros (2005).
, Berkeley County, South Carolina
, Espirito Santo
and Pedra Preta
, Brazil
; Tarapoto, Peru (giant form); Rio Canas, Ecuador
.
Fossil distribution was in Florida only. It lived from 4.9 mya
—300,000 years ago .
by Hoffstetter (1952), Gazin (1957) and Paula Couto (1979); it was recombined as Eremotherium laurillardi by Hoffstetter (1954), Cartelle and Bohorquez (1982), Cartelle and De Iuliis (1995) and Hulbert and Pratt (1998). Fossil distribution was from the southern U.S. to Brazil. It lived from 780,000—11,000 years ago .
Fossil distribution
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of actively mobile ground sloth
Ground sloth
Ground sloths are a diverse group of extinct sloths, in the mammalian superorder Xenarthra. Their most recent survivors lived in the Antilles, where it has been proposed they may have survived until 1550 CE; however, the youngest AMS radiocarbon date reported is 4190 BP, calibrated to c. 4700 BP...
of the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Megatheriidae
Megatheriidae
Megatheriidae is a family of extinct ground sloths that lived from approximately 23 mya—11,000 years ago, existing for approximately .Megatheriids appeared later in the Oligocene, some 30 million years ago, also in South America. The group includes the heavily-built Megatherium and Eremotherium...
, endemic to North America and South America during the Pleistocene
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
epoch. It lived from 1.8 mya
Year
A year is the orbital period of the Earth moving around the Sun. For an observer on Earth, this corresponds to the period it takes the Sun to complete one course throughout the zodiac along the ecliptic....
—11,000 years ago existing (as a genus) for approximately .
Taxonomy
Eremotherium was named by Spillmann (1948) and was assigned to Megatheriinae by Gaudin (1995); and to MegatheriidaeMegatheriidae
Megatheriidae is a family of extinct ground sloths that lived from approximately 23 mya—11,000 years ago, existing for approximately .Megatheriids appeared later in the Oligocene, some 30 million years ago, also in South America. The group includes the heavily-built Megatherium and Eremotherium...
by Spillmann (1948), Carroll (1988) and Cisneros (2005).
Fossil distribution
Fossils have been uncovered from Chatham County, GeorgiaChatham County, Georgia
Chatham County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. The county seat and largest city is Savannah. In the official US Census of 2010, Chatham County had a total population of 265,128 . Chatham is the most populous Georgia county outside the Atlanta metropolitan area...
, Berkeley County, South Carolina
Berkeley County, South Carolina
Berkeley County is a county in the U.S. state of South Carolina. In 2000, its population was 142,651. The 2005 Census Bureau estimate placed the population at 151,673. Its county seat is Moncks Corner....
, Espirito Santo
Espírito Santo
Espírito Santo is one of the states of southeastern Brazil, often referred to by the abbreviation "ES". Its capital is Vitória and the largest city is Vila Velha. The name of the state means literally "holy spirit" after the Holy Ghost of Christianity...
and Pedra Preta
Pedra Preta
Pedra Preta is a town and municipality in the state of Mato Grosso in the Central-West Region of Brazil.-References:...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
; Tarapoto, Peru (giant form); Rio Canas, Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
.
E. eomigrans
E. eomigrans was named by De Iulis and Cartelle (1999). It was found only within the confines of Florida.Fossil distribution was in Florida only. It lived from 4.9 mya
Year
A year is the orbital period of the Earth moving around the Sun. For an observer on Earth, this corresponds to the period it takes the Sun to complete one course throughout the zodiac along the ecliptic....
—300,000 years ago .
- De Soto Shell Pit, De Soto County, Florida. est. age ~1.6 Mya.
- Payne Creek Mine, Polk County, FloridaPolk County, FloridaPolk County is located in central Florida between the Tampa Bay and Greater Orlando metropolitan areas. The county was established by the state government in 1861 on the eve of the American Civil War and named after former United States president James K. Polk. The county seat is Bartow and its...
. est. age 1.6—1.5 Mya. - Crystal River Power Plant, Citrus County, FloridaCitrus County, FloridaCitrus County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 118,085. The U.S. Census Bureau 2008 estimate for the county was 141,416 . Its county seat is Inverness, Florida...
. est. age 1.6—1.5 Mya. - Inglis IA Site, Citrus County, Florida. est. age ~1.5 Mya.
- Haile 7C SiteHaile Quarry siteThe Haile Quarry or Haile sites are an Early Miocene and Pleistocene assemblage of vertebrate fossils located in the Haile quarries, Alachua County, northern Florida. The assemblage was discovered during phosphate mining, which began in the late 1940s. Haile sites are found in the Alachua Formation...
, Alachua County, FloridaAlachua County, FloridaAlachua County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. The U.S. Census Bureau 2006 estimate for the county is 227,120. Its county seat is Gainesville, Florida. Alachua County is the home of the University of Florida and is also known for its diverse culture, local music, and artisans...
. est. age ~1.6—1.5 Mya. - Haile 16A SiteHaile Quarry siteThe Haile Quarry or Haile sites are an Early Miocene and Pleistocene assemblage of vertebrate fossils located in the Haile quarries, Alachua County, northern Florida. The assemblage was discovered during phosphate mining, which began in the late 1940s. Haile sites are found in the Alachua Formation...
, Alachua County, Florida. ~1.6—1.5 Mya. - Cross Florida Barge Canal, Levy County, FloridaLevy County, FloridaLevy County is a county located in the state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 34,450. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county is 37,998. Its county seat is Bronson, Florida. Levy is pronounced lee vee.- History :...
. est. age ~1.6 Mya—400,000 years ago. - McLeod Limerock Mine, Levy County, Florida. est. age ~400,000 years ago.
E. laurillardi
E. laurillardi was named by Lund (1842). It was considered a nomen dubiumNomen dubium
In zoological nomenclature, a nomen dubium is a scientific name that is of unknown or doubtful application...
by Hoffstetter (1952), Gazin (1957) and Paula Couto (1979); it was recombined as Eremotherium laurillardi by Hoffstetter (1954), Cartelle and Bohorquez (1982), Cartelle and De Iuliis (1995) and Hulbert and Pratt (1998). Fossil distribution was from the southern U.S. to Brazil. It lived from 780,000—11,000 years ago .
Fossil distribution
- Fossilossa Site, Chatham County, GeorgiaChatham County, GeorgiaChatham County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. The county seat and largest city is Savannah. In the official US Census of 2010, Chatham County had a total population of 265,128 . Chatham is the most populous Georgia county outside the Atlanta metropolitan area...
. est. age ~2.0 Mya—400,000 years ago. - Isle of Hope, Chatham County, Georgia. est. age ~2.0 Mya.
- Edisto Island, South CarolinaEdisto Island, South CarolinaEdisto Island is one of South Carolina's Sea Islands, the larger part of which lies in Charleston County, with its southern tip in Colleton County. The Charleston County part is a census-designated place. The population was 2,301 at the 2000 census...
est. age 400,000 years ago. - El Bosque, NicaraguaNicaraguaNicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
. est. age ~2.3—400,000 years ago. - Masachapa, Nicaragua. est. age ~23.03 Mya.
- La Coca, PanamaPanamaPanama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
. est. age ~500,000—400,000 years ago. - Zumbador Cave aka Cueva del Zumbador, Falcon, VenezuelaVenezuelaVenezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
. est. age ~1.8 Mya—11,000 years ago. - Cucuruchu, Venezuela. est. age ~125,000—11,000 years ago.
- Rio Canas Site, Manabi, EcuadorEcuadorEcuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
. est. age ~781,000—11,000 years ago. - Lagoa do Ipu Site, Ceara; Lage Grande-Level 1 & 2 Pernambuco, (BrazilBrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. est. age ~1.8 Mya—11,000 years ago. - Toca da Janela da Barra do Antoniao and Lagoa Sao Vitor Piaui, Brazil. est. age ~126,000—11,000 years ago.
- Toca da Esperanca, Bahia, Brazil. est. age ~126,000—11,000 years ago. est. age ~291,000 +/-84,000—204,000 years ago +/- 34,000.