Hapalops (Hapalops Ameghino, 1887)
Temporal range: during the Late Oligocene (South America)
Dimensions: length - 1 m, weight - 10 kg
Hapalops is an extinct genus of ground sloth from the late Oligocene of South America. Though related to the giant Megatherium, Hapalops was much smaller, measuring about 1 metre in length. Like most extinct sloths it is categorized as a ground sloth, but it is believed that the smaller size of Hapalops allowed it to engage in some climbing behaviors. It had a robust body, short skull and long limbs with large, curved claws. When it did visit the ground the animal probably walked on the knuckles of its forelimbs, like a gorilla. Hapalops had very few teeth with no incisors, the mandible included only four pairs of teeth.