Megatherium medinae

Megatherium was a genus of ground sloth endemic to South America that lived from the late Pliocene through the end of the Pleistocene.  The group is known primarily from its largest species, M. americanum, as big as modern modern elephants. Rising on its powerful hind legs and using its tail to form a tripod, Megatherium could support its massive body weight while using the curved claws on its long forelegs to pull down branches with the choicest leaves. This ground sloth walked on the sides of its feet because its claws prevented it from putting them flat on the ground. Although it was primarily a quadruped, it was also capable of bipedal locomotion. In Chile fossils of a relatively small species, M. medinae, are known in the north and central areas.