Mylodontinae, Gill, 1872

Casali, Daniel M, Boscaini, Alberto, Gaudin, Timothy J & Perini, Fernando A, 2022, Reassessing the phylogeny and divergence times of sloths (Mammalia: Pilosa: Folivora), exploring alternative morphological partitioning and dating models, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 196 (4), pp. 1505-1551 : 1524

Mylodontinae

PP = 100, age = 14.01 Mya (12.85–16.46).

This clade is composed of the genus Brievabradys and the clades Lestodontini (sensu Gaudin, 2004) and Mylodontini . Mylodontinae is present in trees from all analyses, with the arrangement: ( Brievabradys , ( Lestodontini / ‘ Lestodontini’, Mylodontini )). Nevertheless, Lestodontini was not recovered as monophyletic in our reference topology, nor in the majority of analyses of this study. The exceptions were UN and A models with ACRV modelled per partition (_p) and par_IW5. Because of that, we recognized two clades, Thinobadistini and Lestodontini (sensu McKenna & Bell, 1997) . The clade which is more closely related to Mylodontini varies among analyses— ( Thinobadistes , Lestobradys ) in some, ( Lestodon , Bolivartherium ) in others. In par_EW, Thinobadistini is not recovered and Thinobadistes and Lestobradys are both in a polytomy with Lestodontini and Mylodontini .

Mylodontinae was supported by ten synapomorphies (three for both methods and seven exclusively for BI): cf1 larger than largest molariform (BI); Cf1 equidistant from the anterior edge of the maxilla and from Mf1 (BI); absence of fossa anterior to Cf1 (BI); presence of anterior projection of alveoli of Cf1/cf1; Mf1 recurved posteriorly in lateral view (BI); trigonal Cf1 crosssection (BI); trigonal cf1 cross-section (BI); mandibular symphysis shorter or roughly equal to molariform toothrow; presence of symphysial keel (BI); and length of symphysial spout shorter than or equal to its width.