Synocnus
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| Synocnus Fossil range: Pleistocene |
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Synocnus was a genus of ground sloth that was about the size of a medium-sized dog and weighed approximately about 50 pounds. This animal lived in Haiti. Synocnus would have resembled a typical ground sloth, though much smaller, with a longer tail and a broad trunk, as well as lissome limbs and long claws. This sloth was known for having caudal vertebrae that were broad, a trait shared with other ground sloths, indicating that this animal, like the tamandua of today, likely used its tail to stand upright. The teeth of the Synocnus were large and triangular, and its skull was deep and had a large, sagittal crest which, when used with the deep mandible, likely allowed masticatory muscles.
The fossils of this sloth were found in Haitian cave deposits. It is conversely theorized that this sloth was killed off by humans seeking its pelt and meat. Currently, this species of sloth is being studied by evolutionary historians.[citation needed] Synocnus was suspected of being semi-arboreal.[citation needed]
