Question 1

How do you say Megatherium?

Accepted Answer

Megatherium is pronounced meg-ah-THEER-ee-um. The stress falls on the third syllable, THEER, which rhymes with 'here'. Break it down slowly as MEG, then AH, then THEER, then EE, then UM, and put it together: meg-ah-THEER-ee-um. Once you say it a few times it rolls off the tongue easily, and knowing how to say it will impress any paleontologist or science teacher you meet.

Question 2

What does Megatherium mean?

Accepted Answer

Megatherium means 'great beast' in Greek. The first part, mega, means large or great, and the second part, therion, means wild animal or beast. The full species name is Megatherium americanum, which translates roughly as 'great beast of America'. Georges Cuvier chose this name in 1796 because the enormous skeleton he was describing was simply unlike anything he had ever seen, and no other name seemed to fit.

Question 3

How big was Megatherium?

Accepted Answer

Megatherium americanum was enormous, reaching about 6 meters in length and weighing up to 4 tonnes, which is roughly equal to two adult African elephants. When it reared up on its hind legs it could stand over 6 meters tall, making it taller than a double-decker bus. It is one of the largest land mammals that ever existed, exceeded in size only by some giant rhinos and the largest mammoths and mastodons.

Question 4

Was Megatherium dangerous?

Accepted Answer

Megatherium was almost certainly dangerous if threatened. Its claws were up to 30 centimeters long and attached to arms powerful enough to tear branches from trees, meaning a defensive swipe could have been devastating to any predator. Even Smilodon, the saber-toothed cat, would likely have thought twice before attacking a healthy adult Megatherium. Some researchers have suggested it may have occasionally scavenged or even seized carcasses from other predators, though most scientists believe it was primarily a plant-eater.

Question 5

When did Megatherium live?

Accepted Answer

Megatherium lived from approximately the Early Pliocene, around 5 million years ago, all the way through the end of the Late Pleistocene, around 10,000 years ago. That means this incredible animal survived for millions of years and was actually alive at the same time as early humans in the Americas. The youngest fossils suggest Megatherium americanum disappeared right around when the first human hunters arrived in South America, which is one reason scientists think hunting may have contributed to its extinction.

Question 6

Is Megatherium related to modern sloths?

Accepted Answer

Yes, Megatherium is a direct relative of the two-toed and three-toed sloths alive today, though the size difference is mind-blowing. Modern sloths weigh around 4 to 9 kilograms, while Megatherium weighed up to 4,000 kilograms. Both belong to the order Pilosa and share distinctive clawed feet and specialized jaws for eating plant material. The living sloths are essentially tiny tree-dwelling survivors of a group that once produced some of the largest land mammals on Earth.

Question 7

Where did Megatherium live?

Accepted Answer

Megatherium fossils have been found across a huge area of the Americas, including Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and even parts of the United States. The most famous fossils come from Argentina's Pampas region, especially around the Lujan River in Buenos Aires Province. During its long history the genus spread northward through Central America and into North America after the formation of the Isthmus of Panama connected the two continents around 3 million years ago.

Question 8

What did Megatherium eat?

Accepted Answer

Megatherium was almost certainly an herbivore that fed on leaves, shrubs, and tree branches. Its deep jaw and peg-like teeth were well suited for grinding tough plant material, and its massive arms and huge claws were perfect for pulling down branches or digging up roots. It could rear up on its hind legs to reach vegetation more than 6 meters off the ground. A small number of researchers have proposed it may have occasionally scavenged meat, but most paleontologists consider this unlikely based on its tooth and jaw anatomy.

Question 9

Why did Megatherium go extinct?

Accepted Answer

Megatherium went extinct around 10,000 years ago at the end of the last Ice Age, and scientists still debate exactly why. The two main theories are human hunting and climate change. Megatherium was alive exactly when the first humans spread through the Americas, and large slow-reproducing animals are especially vulnerable to even modest hunting pressure. The dramatic warming at the end of the Pleistocene also changed vegetation patterns across South America, potentially shrinking the habitats Megatherium depended on. Most researchers today believe both factors played a role.

Question 10

Did Megatherium have claws?

Accepted Answer

Megatherium had some of the most impressive claws of any land animal that ever lived. On its front feet it had three enormous curved claws that could reach around 30 centimeters in length. These claws were so large that Megatherium could not place its feet flat on the ground and instead walked on the outer edges of its feet, somewhat like a gorilla walks on its knuckles. The claws were likely used to pull down tree branches and dig up roots, and they would have made a formidable defensive weapon against predators.

Question 11

Who discovered Megatherium?

Accepted Answer

The first major Megatherium skeleton was excavated near the Lujan River in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, in 1788 under the direction of a friar named Manuel Torres. The skeleton was shipped to the Real Gabinete de Historia Natural in Madrid, Spain, where it remains on display to this day. The great French scientist Georges Cuvier officially described and named the species in 1796, making Megatherium one of the very first prehistoric animals ever formally named by science. Cuvier's work on this fossil helped establish the scientific concept of extinction.

Question 12

How did Megatherium walk?

Accepted Answer

Megatherium had a very unusual walk because of its enormous curved claws. It walked on the outer edges of its hind feet, a posture called lateral foot placement, and it curled its front claws inward so it essentially walked on its knuckles like a gorilla. Despite this awkward-looking gait, Megatherium was probably a steady and powerful mover. It could also rear up onto just its two hind legs, using its thick muscular tail as a third support, allowing it to stand fully upright to reach high branches.

Question 13

Could Megatherium stand on two legs?

Accepted Answer

Yes, Megatherium could rear up on its two hind legs, and scientists believe it did this regularly to feed. Its hind limbs were massively built with dense bones and powerful muscles, and its heavy tail acted like a kickstand to stabilize its body when standing upright. In this bipedal position Megatherium could reach vegetation more than 6 meters off the ground, giving it access to food sources that no other ground-dwelling herbivore in its ecosystem could reach. Its ankle bones were specially reinforced to handle the enormous weight of this posture.

Megatherium Pronunciation

What does Megatherium mean?

Name Roots

Fun Facts

Learn More About Megatherium

Related Prehistoric Creatures