Catonyx


Catonyx is an extinct genus of ground sloth of the family Scelidotheriidae, endemic to South America during the Pleistocene epoch. It lived from 2.5 Ma to about 10,000 years ago, existing for approximately. The most recent date obtained is about 9600 B.P. The cranial anatomy of the species C. tarijensis indicates it may have been a browser which used its strong lips to grab vegetation, and Santos Pereira et al. tentatively suggested browsing habits for C. cuvieri.

Taxonomy

Catonyx was named by Ameghino in 1891. It was assigned to Scelidotheriinae by Gaudin in 1995. Scelidotheriinae was elevated back to family status by Presslee et al. in 2019.

Fossil distribution

Fossils of Catonyx have been uncovered in Brazil, the San José Formation of Uruguay, the Tezanos Pinto Formation of Argentina, and the Tarija Valley of Bolivia.