{{Automatic Taxobox | name = Scelidotherium | fossil_range = Pleistocene (Lujanian)~ | image = Scelidotherium leptocephalum side.jpg | image_caption = S. leptocephalumSkeletal mount in the National Museum of Natural History (France) | taxon = Scelidotherium | authority = Owen, 1840 | subdivision_ranks = Species | subdivision = †S. australis †S. bravardi †S. elegans †S. laevidens †S. leptocephalum Owen 1840 †S. modicum †S. parodii Kraglievich 1923 †S. patrium †S. pozzii †S. reyesi †S. tarijense }}Scelidotherium is an extinct genus of ground sloth of the family Scelidotheriidae, endemic to South America during the Late Pleistocene epoch. It lived from 780,000 to 11,000 years ago, existing for approximately . Description It is characterized by an elongated, superficially anteater-like head. In fossil distribution, it is known from Argentina (Luján and Arroyo Seco Formations), Bolivia (Tarija Formation), Peru (San Sebastián Formation), Panama, Brazil, Paraguay and Ecuador. In his journal of The Voyage of the Beagle, Charles Darwin reports the finding of a nearly perfect fossil Scelidotherium in Punta Alta while travelling overland from Bahía Blanca to Buenos Aires in 1832. He allied it to the Megatherium. Owen (1840) recognized the true characters of the remains and named them Scelidotherium, which means "femur beast" to reflect the distinctive proportions of that skeletal element. They were tall and might have weighed up to . Taxonomy Scelidotherium was named by Owen (1840). It was assigned to Mylodontidae by Carroll (1988); and to Scelidotheriinae by Gaudin (1995) and Zurita et al. (2004). Scelidotheriinae was elevated back to full family status by Presslee et al.'' (2019). Gallery References Further reading Owen, R. (1840) Zoology of the Voyage of the Beagle1, Fossil Mammalia. Prehistoric sloths Prehistoric placental genera Pleistocene xenarthrans Pleistocene mammals of South America Lujanian Pleistocene Argentina Fossils of Argentina Pleistocene Bolivia Fossils of Bolivia Pleistocene Brazil Fossils of Brazil Pleistocene Ecuador Fossils of Ecuador Pleistocene Panama Fossils of Panama Pleistocene Paraguay Fossils of Paraguay Pleistocene Peru Fossils of Peru Fossil taxa described in 1840 Taxa named by Richard Owen