RIVERSIDE, Calif., Dec. 3 (UPI) -- A rare skull fossil of a nearly 2 million-year-old sloth was unearthed in California during ground preparation for a utility station.
The skull of the giant ground sloth, which roamed the area during the Irvingtonian Period, from 1.9 million to 300,000 years ago, was discovered in San Timoteo Canyon and is the first of that age found west of the Rocky Mountains, The (Riverside, Calif.) Press-Enterprise reported Wednesday.
"These are really rare animals. While they fossilize well, there aren't many skulls (from that period)," said Steve Conkling, a paleontologist for LSA Associates, an Irvine-based company.
"The skull tends to have lots of features that give us an understanding of the individual and where it fits in the species," said Greg McDonald, senior curator of natural history for the National Park Service.
An animal's skull can reveal its age, size and gender, and its teeth can show what it ate, McDonald said.
The skull shows the giant ground sloth moved slowly. Evidence shows algae grew on its fur. It had long, sharp claws and bony platelets under its skin and was extremely powerful. An adult stood 8 feet tall and weighed 3,500 to 4,000 pounds.
"They were probably grumpy and mean," Conkling said.
