Eucholoeops Ameghino, 1887

Iuliis, Gerardo De, Pujos, François, Toledo, Nestor, Bargo, Susana & Vizcaíno, Sergio F., 2014, Eucholoeops Ameghino, 1887 (Xenarthra, Tardigrada, Megalonychidae) from the Santa Cruz Formation, Argentine Patagonia: implications for the systematics of Santacrucian sloths, Geodiversitas 36 (2), pp. 209-255 : 220

Genus Eucholoeops Ameghino, 1887

TYPE SPECIES. — Eucholoeops ingens Ameghino, 1887 .

DIAGNOSIS. — Much smaller than the Plio-Pleistocene grounds sloths but larger than Holocene and extant tree sloths; shares with other megalonychids large C1 and c1, prominent diastema, anteriorly divergent tooth rows, with caniniforms displaced laterally to remaining teeth, and oval to rectangular molariforms; muzzle prominent, short and broad, but less so than in Ahytherium and Megistonyx ; differing from Megalonyx in possessing caniniforms that are triangular in section and a longer mandibular spout; differing from other megalonychids with triangular caniniforms (e.g., Choloepus , Acratocnus Anthony, 1916 , Neocnus Arredondo, 1961 ) in having dorsoventrally deep, rather than anteriorly tapered, rostrum; differing from other megalonychids in possessing transversely expanded M2 and M3; width across buccinator fossae much less than width at preorbital rostrum; preorbital rostrum width greater than that of postorbital constriction; posterior surface of lacrimal markedly concave.

DISTRIBUTION. — Santacrucian SALMA (late Early Miocene), Santa Cruz Province, Argentine Patagonia .