The southern maned sloth (Bradypus crinitus) is a three-toed sloth species.
Description
The southern maned sloths have flatter skulls, rounder jaws, and wider cheekbones than the northern maned sloths.[1] The species has a head that looks like a coconut.
Distribution
The sloth is endemic to Brazil's Atlantic Forest, a highly biodiverse region. Southern maned sloths were found in Rio de Janeiro and Espírito Santo.[2]
Discovery
The species was discovered by John Edward Gray in 1850, but his assertions were later dismissed, with taxonomists agreeing that the specimen, that Gray described was a B. torquatus, but the new study proves that B. critinus does indeed exist.[1] The B. crinitus separated from B. torquatus in the north by more than 4 million years of evolution.[3] B.torquatus and B. crinitus are allopatrically distributed that diverged during the Early Pliocene (period of global cooling).[4]
Name
The sloth received Gray's old name, Bradypus crinitus.[3] The name crinitus means 'hairy', referring to its coconut-like head.[5]
References
- ^ a b "New Species Of Coconut Headed Sloth Identified In Brazilian Jungle". IFLScience. 29 September 2022. Retrieved 2023-02-19.
- ^ "New Animal Species Discovered | Conservation & Wildlife". 2023-01-13. Retrieved 2023-02-19.
- ^ a b "Newly recognised species of sloth has a head like a coconut". New Scientist. Retrieved 2023-02-19.
- ^ Miranda, Flavia R.; Garbino, Guilherme S. T.; Machado, Fabio A.; Perini, Fernando A.; Santos, Fabricio R.; Casali, Daniel M. (19 September 2022). "Taxonomic revision of maned sloths, subgenus Bradypus (Scaeopus), Pilosa, Bradypodidae, with revalidation of Bradypus crinitus Gray, 1850". Journal of Mammalogy. 104 (1): 86–103. doi:10.1093/jmammal/gyac059.
- ^ "Top 15 species discoveries from 2022 (Photos)". Mongabay Environmental News. 2022-12-29. Retrieved 2023-02-19.
External links
Media related to Southern maned sloth at Wikimedia Commons
Data related to Southern maned sloth at Wikispecies
