Megatherium, the so-called ‘giant sloth’, was a massive ground-dwelling relative of modern sloths. This particular species, Megatherium americanum, was the largest of its kind. It browsed for plants in South America during the Pleistocene and became extinct just ten thousand years ago.Scientific Name: Megatherium americanumCharacteristics: Megatherium americanum was a large plant-eating mammal with stubby legs and relatively long arms. It was covered with hair and had a blunt skull with strong grinding teeth. It had a broad pelvis and a short t