Giant Ground Sloth Tooth
Age: 1.5 - 1 Million Years Old
Pleistocene Epoch
Species: Megalonyx Jeffersonii
Specimen: Tooth
Discovered: Florida - Leisey Fossil Pit
Measures Roughly 3" Long (From longest lengths)
 
Megalonyx jeffersonii was a large ground sloth species that lived in North America during the ice age, known for its massive size and unique features such as long, curved claws and a bony skeleton. These sloths could weigh up to 2,000 pounds and stood over 10 feet tall on their hind legs, making them one of the largest mammals to ever live. Despite their imposing size, they were herbivores and likely grazed on plants and leaves found in the forests and grasslands they inhabited. The species is named after Thomas Jefferson, who was an early advocate for the study of fossils in North America.