Tree sloths have earned a reputation for being shy and slow-moving. But their ancestors, a diverse group of extinct creatures known as giant ground sloths, were not nearly as cuddly as their modern counterparts.
Sporting bony, chainmail-like armor and razor-sharp claws, these impressive beasts could be found lumbering throughout the prehistoric Americas during the last Ice Age — and not just on the surface, either.
Are Scientists Still Unearthing New Species of Giant Sloth?
In 2009, paleontologists discovered the fossils of a giant ground sloth in Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. The scientists found the remarkably well-preserved sloth skeleton 100 feet below ground, in an underwater limestone cave. More recently, they've learned that the remains belong to an entirely new — albeit extinct — species of giant sloth.
