Ground Sloth

The ground sloth is one ofNorth America's most unusual prehistoric animals. Its peculiar bones are an intriguing and welcome find for paleontologists; so remarkable that President Thomas Jefferson felt compelled to present specimens he had received to Philadelphia's American Philosophical Societyin 1797. This discussion inspired vertebrate paleontology in North America and the species Megalonyx jeffersonii is named for the third President.

Several species of Megalonyx have been named. Jefferson's is the largest, most recent ground sloth, estimated to have appeared more than 150,000 years ago. It was a distant relative of the modern two and three-toed sloths that spend most of their time in trees. In contrast, the Jefferson ground sloth was ox-sized, growingto 2.5 or 3 m (8 to 10 ft) long. It had a short, broad head with a blunt muzzle. The teeth were peg-like with space between the bluntfang-like teeth and wider cheek teeth.

In Canada, fossils of Jefferson's ground sloths have been found in Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, as well as the Yukon and the Northwest Territories. The species became extinct about 9,000 years ago..

This coin is the fourth issue of the Prehistoric Animals (2007-2010) collection.
The first coin of the serie, released in 2007, depicts the Wooly mammoth.
The second coin of the serie, releasedin 2008, depicts the Scimitar cat.
The third coin of the serie, released in 2009, depicts the Steppe bison.
The fourth and the last coin of the serie, released in 2010, depicts the Jefferson ground sloth.