Imagocnus
Encyclopedia
Imagocnus is an extinct genus
of ground sloth
from the early Miocene
of Cuba
.
This sloth resided in the Antilles and showed a range of body size. Its relationships to other Antillean sloths
are not immediately clear, though the genera Megalocnus
and Parocnus,other ground sloths, are its most likely relatives.
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 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...
from the early Miocene
Miocene
The Miocene is a geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about . The Miocene was named by Sir Charles Lyell. Its name comes from the Greek words and and means "less recent" because it has 18% fewer modern sea invertebrates than the Pliocene. The Miocene follows the Oligocene...
of Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
.
This sloth resided in the Antilles and showed a range of body size. Its relationships to other Antillean sloths
Pilosans of the Caribbean
The mammalian order Pilosa, which includes the sloths and anteaters, includes various species from the Caribbean region. Many species of sloths are known from the Greater Antilles, all of which went extinct over the last millennia, but some sloths and anteaters survive on islands closer to the...
are not immediately clear, though the genera Megalocnus
Megalocnus
The ground sloths of the extinct genus Megalocnus were among the largest of the Caribbean ground sloths, with individuals estimated to have weighed up to when alive. Two species are known, M. rodens of Cuba, and M. zile of Hispaniola. Subfossils of M...
and Parocnus,other ground sloths, are its most likely relatives.