Southern maned sloth explained

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).

Name

The sloth received Gray's old name, Bradypus crinitus. The name crinitus means 'hairy', referring to its coconut-like head.^[4]

Notes and References

1. Web site: New Species Of Coconut Headed Sloth Identified In Brazilian Jungle . 2023-02-19 . IFLScience . 29 September 2022 . en.
2. Web site: 2023-01-13 . New Animal Species Discovered Conservation & Wildlife . 2023-02-19 . en-US.
3. Web site: Newly recognised species of sloth has a head like a coconut . 2023-02-19 . New Scientist . en-US.
4. Web site: 2022-12-29 . Top 15 species discoveries from 2022 (Photos) . 2023-02-19 . Mongabay Environmental News . en-US.