Reviewing the body size of some extinct Brazilian Quaternary Xenarthrans

Abstract

Here we estimate the body mass of 10 iconic species of extinct xenarthrans (cingulates and sloths) from the Quaternary of Brazil using two sets of predictive equations based on postcranial variables. Our results revealed that one of these methods is more reliable in estimating the body mass of the evaluated taxa, even though both methods provide accurate results. The body mass estimates for cingulates indicate that they would have been heavier than previously proposed. Among extinct sloths, the results appear to be within the range of previous estimates. Compared to previously proposed body mass estimates for the same species, we suggest that the results presented in this study are more robust due to using predictive equations with high predictive power and developed using a broader phylogenetic dataset, including extant relatives.