Talk:Ground sloth

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Contents 1 The last ground sloths 2 Americo-centric 3 sasquatch 4 Thoughts on the Prehistoric mammals category 5 Layout 6 Map idea

[edit] The last ground sloths

A new anonymous User:65.93.24.168 has changed the extinction from 10,000 years ago to 8000 years ago. Is any one competent to vet this change and perhaps even expand upon why the date has been selected? --Wetman 22:37, 14 Jan 2005 (UTC)

Now User:Aranae has inserted "They may have died out as recently as 3,715 years ago in Haiti, but had long since been extinct on the mainland." This user has made many contributions to entries on mammals. Tongue-in-cheek exactness to satirize my expression of doubt? Was the "Year 0" counted or left out? May we have a clue to the basis for a date? --Wetman 03:14, 18 Jan 2005 (UTC)

Can't blame you for skepticism on that one. There's another problem: the second paragraph currently says there are only four identified species. The rest of the article lists more than those four. Postdlf 05:04, 18 Jan 2005 (UTC)

It's from Walker's Mammals of the World. It's why I added the reference. I just listed the date as it's seen there. It's based on some well dated archaeological cave deposits. I've heard some people suggest there were ground sloths in the West Indies when Columbus arrived, but I have no source for that and am not totally convinced. --Aranae 06:05, Jan 18, 2005 (UTC)

Well, that's the soundest of references. But where'd they get those last fifteen years? Only trees rings are generally that precise. Don't be cross that I doubted. It's my training. --Wetman 12:20, 18 Jan 2005 (UTC)

Several species (of Acratocnus, Neocnus and a few others) have survived into at least the Quaternary and probably the Holocene of the West Indian isles. See also White, J.L. & MacPhee, R.D.E. 2001. The sloths of the West Indies: a systematic and phylogenetic review. Pp. 201-235 in Woods, C.A. & Sergile, F.E. (eds.). Biogeography of the West Indies: Patterns and Perspectives. and [www.slothworld.org]. Ucucha 07:36, 17 Apr 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Americo-centric

Why are we talking about "the four species of ground sloth found in the United States"? A bit like discussing "Belgian dinosaurs" no? Why not North America? --Wetman 02:08, 13 Apr 2005 (UTC)

It's a relic from when the article listed those four as the only species—it previously said only "the four identified species..." without the geographic limiter that someone else added. Feel free to correct that as you see fit. Postdlf 04:18, 13 Apr 2005 (UTC)

I'm not competent. I'd just substitute "North America" for "United States"... --Wetman 05:01, 13 Apr 2005 (UTC)

But then I worry if other species have been found in Canada or Mexico that haven't been found in the U.S, which would then make the statement incorrect. Maybe it's best to simply move the section to a less prominent spot, or comment it out for now until someone with more knowledge on the subject than you or I can deal with it? Postdlf 05:08, 13 Apr 2005 (UTC)

Which mainland is referred to in "on the mainland" (first paragraph)? From the discussion above I can only assume that this means North America, but "the mainland" is relative to where you are. I'm not nit-picking, it's just that I feel an encyclopaedia should be unambiguous to the best of the abilities of the contributors.

It refers to either continent that contained ground sloths, North America or South America. --Aranae 22:28, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] sasquatch

is this thing big foot? the abominable snowman? discuss.

[edit] Thoughts on the Prehistoric mammals category

My personal opinion is that while it is good to have the distinctions between the different Epochs, the category of prehistoric mammals should still be included as many in the general public are unaware of which specific Epoch their mammal was from. Essentially, it would be like having two card catalog references. I agree that the Epoch distinctions are more accurate and if I had to chose one or the other, that would be the one I would keep. But I think there is still value in maintaining it. Or perhaps prehistoric mammals could become just a list of, provided all of hte current mammals ended up on the list. Any thoughts?

--aremisasling 20:55, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

I think every prehistoric mammal should get four category designations, taxonomy, prehistoric (taxonomy), Epoch(s) known from, Epoch extinction. Logically, users should be able to get to a prehistoric mammal, but looking up mammals by taxonomy, prehistoric mammals by taxonomy, animals known from given Epochs, and animals separated by extinctions.

Ground sloth should therefore be cat:Xenarthrans, cat:Prehistoric mammals, cat:Oligocene mammals (as well as Miocene, Pliocene, and Pleistocene), and cat:Recent extinctions. As more subcategorizing happens and new categories are made, cat:Xenarthra will be switched to cat:Sloths, and cat:Prehistoric mammals will be switched to cat:Prehistoric xenarthrans.

Now that I've thought that through, I'm worried I may have reverted some of your edits in this regard. I think that's what you've been doing. My apologies if that's the case. If this receives agreement, we should post it on the category talk page. --Aranae 21:08, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

Hey, no worries. I've just been starting the extensive task of tracking down all of the prehistoric critters (starting arbitrarily with mammals) and giving them Epoch cats. The intent is to eventually make it universal for all living things. I was mostly posting to head it off at the pass and get some consensus so we could keep it all fairly universal. My only hesitation is that in some of the more long-lived critters, the cat list may get pretty cumbersome. I had an Order, I think it was, that went from the Cretaceous to the modern day.

--aremisasling 21:20, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

Perhaps a broader category for the Tertiary, Cenozoic, etc. that would somehow imply that it was found throughout the time period? --Aranae 21:54, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

Yeah, I think that might do it. The only catch would be that they would no longer be placed next to contemporaries in each Epoch. I'm not sure which way I like better. --aremisasling 21:58, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

Conversation moved to Category_talk:Prehistoric_mammals

[edit] Layout

There's something wrong with the layout on this page. Does someone know how to fix it? Andrew Moylan 04:58, 11 February 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Map idea

I doubt this idea would be feasible but does anyone have any thoughts on doing a map where we could put virtual pins on where such animals have been found? I think it would add to not only this but many of the long extinct animals. JohnCub 14:17, 13 February 2007 (UTC)