Octodontotherium

Octodontotherium is an extinct genus of ground sloth of the family Mylodontidae, endemic to South America during the Late Oligocene (Deseadan). It lived from 29 to 23 Mya, existing for approximately 6 million years.^[1]

Octodontotherium Temporal range: Late Oligocene (Deseadan) ~29–23 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Octodontotherium crassidens fossil
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Pilosa
Family:	†Mylodontidae
Genus:	†Octodontotherium Ameghino, 1894
Species
O. crassidens O. grandae

Fossil distribution is exclusive to Santa Cruz Province, Argentina (Deseado and Sarmiento Formations) and Bolivia (Salla Formation).^[1]

Taxonomy

Octodontotherium was named by Ameghino (1894). It was assigned to Mylodontidae by Carroll (1988); and to Mylodontinae by Gaudin (1995).^[2][3]

Palaeoecology

Orthodentine microwear analysis suggests that Octodontotherium was an unspecialised herbivore able to feed on a variety of different plants.^[4]