Xenarthra (/ zɛˈnɑːrθrə /; from Ancient Greek ξένος, xénos, "foreign, alien" + ἄρθρον, árthron, "joint") is a major clade of placental mammals native to the Americas. There are 31 living species: the anteaters, tree sloths, and armadillos. [1] . Extinct xenarthrans include the glyptodonts, pampatheres and ground sloths.

xenarthran, (magnorder Xenarthra), an ancient lineage of mammals comprising the armadillos (order Cingulata) and the sloths and anteaters (order Pilosa). The namesake feature shared by all members of Xenarthra is seen in the lower backbone.

Aug 25, 2019 · Xenarthra is the group of mammals that contains the sloths, anteaters and armadillos. Xenarthra is a ‘superorder’ – a group of related animals that contains other, smaller groups of even more closely-related animals.

Anteaters, armadillos, and sloths are a group of eutherian mammals known as the Xenarthra. They were once placed in the order Edentata and are still often referred to as edentates, a word that means "toothless."

The Pilosa contains sloths and anteaters, also known as the hairy xenarthrans, and the Cingulata includes the extinct glyptodonts and armadillos, the animals with bony carapaces. The group name "Xenarthra" refers to the additional articulations between the lumbar vertebrae, called xenarthrous processes.

Sep 29, 2024 · Discover the fascinating world of Xenarthra, including armadillos, anteaters, and sloths. Learn about their habitats, diets, behavior, and conservation status.

The 39 extant species represent only a small fragment of a much more diverse fossil assemblage that includes such famous oddities as giant ground sloths and glyptodonts. Current molecular evidence indicates that the Xenarthra represent one of …

Apart from being among the most unusual of Neotropical creatures, the xenarthrans are together one of the most ancient groups of mammals — perhaps descendants of the earliest radiation of mammalian species.

The Xenarthra is a superorder of mammals. It is a group of placental mammals (infraclass Eutheria). They live at present only in the Americas, and are anteaters, tree sloths, and armadillos. Their origins can be traced back as far as the Palaeogene (about 60-65 million years ago (mya), shortly after the Mesozoic) in South America. [1]

The mammalian order Xenarthra (ex Edentata) (see Glass 1985) is composed of three major lineages corres- ponding to three distinct living morphotypes: armadillos (Cingulata: Dasypodidae), anteaters (Vermilingua: Myr- mecophagidae) and sloths (Bradypodidae and Megalo- nychidae).