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Neocnus Temporal range: Pleistocene to Holocene
Neocnus comes skull
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Pilosa
Family:	†Megalocnidae
Genus:	†Neocnus
Species
†N. comes †N. dousman †N. gliriformis †N. major †N. toupiti

Neocnus is an extinct genus of megalocnid sloth, whose species ranged across Cuba and Hispaniola (today split between Haiti and the Dominican Republic). Neocnus was small, with a longe tail and a broad trunk, as well as lissome limbs and long claws. This sloth was known for having caudal vertebrae that were broad, a trait shared with other sloths, indicating that this animal, like the tamandua of today, likely used its tail to stand upright. The caniniform teeth of the Neocnus were large and triangular, and its skull was deep and had a large, sagittal crest which, when used with the deep mandible likely allowed strong exertion by the masticatory muscles.

The fossils of this sloth were found in Haitian cave deposits. They have been dated to as recently as 4391 BP, calibrated to c. 5000 BP. It is theorized that this sloth, in common with other Antillean sloths, was most likely hunted to extinction by the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean for its pelt and meat. Neocnus is suspected of having been semi-arboreal.

See also

• Pilosans of the Caribbean

References

1. Steadman, D. W.; Martin, P. S.; MacPhee, R. D. E.; Jull, A. J. T.; McDonald, H. G.; Woods, C. A.; Iturralde-Vinent, M.; Hodgins, G. W. L. (2005-08-16). "Asynchronous extinction of late Quaternary sloths on continents and islands". Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 102 (33). National Academy of Sciences: 11763–11768. Bibcode:2005PNAS..10211763S. doi:10.1073/pnas.0502777102. PMC 1187974. PMID 16085711.
2. White, J. (1993). "Indicators of locomotor habits in Xenarthrans: Evidence for locomotor heterogeneity among fossil sloths". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 13 (2): 230–242. Bibcode:1993JVPal..13..230W. doi:10.1080/02724634.1993.10011502.

v t e Pilosan genera
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Superorder: Xenarthra
Pilosa Vermilingua †Argyromanis †Orthoarthrus Cyclopedidae Cyclopes †Palaeomyrmidon Myrmecophagidae Myrmecophaga †Neotamandua †Protamandua Tamandua Folivora †Pseudoglyptodon †Megalocnidae Acratocnus Imagocnus Megalocnus Mesocnus Miocnus Neocnus Parocnus Mylodontoidea Choloepus †Scelidotheriidae Analcitherium Catonyx Chubutherium Nematherium? Neonematherium Proscelidodon Scelidodon Scelidotheridium Scelidotheriops Scelidotherium Sibyllotherium Valgipes †Mylodontidae Baraguatherium Eionaletherium Nematherium Octodontobradys Octodontotherium Octomylodon Orophodon Paroctodontotherium Pseudoprepotherium Urumacotherium Mylodontinae Archaeomylodon Brievabradys? Glossotheriopsis Megabradys Mylodonopsis Ocnotherium Oreomylodon? Promylodon Ranculcus Strabosodon Lestodontini Bolivartherium Lestobradys Lestodon Magdalenabradys Sphenotherus Thinobadistes Mylodontini Glossotheridium Glossotherium Kiyumylodon Mylodon Paramylodon Pleurolestodon Simomylodon Megatherioidea see below↓
Megatherioidea Megatherioidea Bradypus †Hapalops †Hiskatherium †Hyperleptus †Pelecyodon †Schismotherium †Similhapalops †Megalonychidae Deseadognathus Hapalops? Hyperleptus? Mesopotamocnus Paulocnus Proplatyarthrus Urumacocnus Ortotheriinae Diodomus Eucholoeops Hapaloides Megalonychotherium Ortotherium Paranabradys Pliomorphus Proschismotherium Pseudortotherium Torcellia Megalonychinae Ahytherium Australonyx Megalonychops Megalonyx Megistonyx Meizonyx Nohochichak Pattersonocnus Pliometanastes Protomegalonyx Sinclairia Xibalbaonyx Zacatzontli †Megatheria Analcimorphus Nothrotheriidae Neohapalops Thalassocnus? Nothrotheriinae Amphibradys Aymaratherium Chasicobradys Huilabradys Lakukullus Mcdonaldocnus Mionothropus Nothropus Nothrotheriops Nothrotherium Pronothrotherium Xyophorus Megatheriidae Thalassocnus? Planopsinae Planops Prepotherium Prepoplanops Proprepotherium Megatheriinae Anisodontherium Diabolotherium Eomegatherium Eremotherium Megathericulus Megatheridium Megatheriops Megatherium Ocnopus Perezfontanatherium Plesiomegatherium Pliomegatherium Proeremotherium Promegatherium Pyramiodontherium Sibotherium Urumaquia

• Prehistoric sloths
• Pleistocene xenarthrans
• Pleistocene mammals of North America
• Prehistoric placental genera
• Mammals of the Caribbean
• Mammals of Hispaniola
• Mammals of Cuba
• Extinct animals of Haiti
• Extinct animals of the Dominican Republic
• Mammals of the Dominican Republic
• Mammals of Haiti