LATE PLEISTOCENE MYLODONT SLOTH PARAMYLODON HARLANI (MAMMALIA: XENARTHRA) FROM ARIZONA

The late Pleistocene ground sloth Paramylodon harlani was widely distributed across North America, but it is represented in Arizona by only 2 records. These include a nearly complete skeleton from the Richville Gravels near Springerville, Apache County, and a second partial skeleton from Shonto, Navajo County. Both specimens are from reportedly lacustrine deposits and suggest that the species was not adapted to xeric conditions. Thus, its distribution in the Southwest and potential for dispersal might have been determined by the presence of permanent water sources.