UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PUBLICATIONS 



IN 



GEOLOGY 



Vol. 12, No. 6, pp. 425-430, plate 51 November 22, 1920 



A MOUNTED SKELETON OF MYLODON 

 HARLANI 



BY 



CHESTER STOCK 



CONTENTS p.^j, 



Tntroduction 425 



Characters of Mylodon harlaiii 426 



Remarks 427 



INTRODUCTION 



Skull and skeletal matei-ials of the ground sloth Mylodon occur 

 not uncommonly in Pleistocene deposits of North America, yet no- 

 where, with the single exception of Rancho La Brea, have remains of 

 this genus been found in sufficient completeness to permit the satis- 

 factory^ construction of a mounted individual. On tlie contrary, fre- 

 quent occurrence and favorable preservation of remains of Mylodon 

 and of related genera in Pleistocene beds of South America have 

 furnished opportunity to prepare a number of mounts of these mam- 

 mals. Studies based on the latter specimens, and especially the ex- ' 

 eellent description of Mylodon robustus by Sir Richard Owen, have 

 made available a fund of knowledge concerning the Mylodontidae of 

 South America that has remained, heretofore, unparalleled. Fortu- 

 nately, however, recent studies of the large collection of edentate 

 remains from the asphalt beds of Rancho La Brea have made possible 

 the completion of a mount of the species Mylodon liaiiani, and an 

 occasion presents itself, therefore, to secure information of the North 

 American mylodont sloth as detailed as that which we have of the 

 southern types. 



This specimen of Mylodon harlani was prepared and is now on 

 exhibition at the ]\Iuseum of History, Science and Art, m Los Angeles. 

 Permission to study the edentate collection and to use portions of it 



