Re: Phorusrhacids killing large mammals in National Geographic Channel

[Augusto Haro <augustoharo@gmail.com>]

> Caniniforms? Sloths? What???
>

Many ground sloths had large "canine-like" teeth, without being truly
homologous with canines, at least not both the upper and the lower.
Caniniform is a canine-like teeth which may not be homologous with a
canine. Not the same of caniform, a member of the Caniformia.

I think ground sloths were likely aggressive animals because wild
Recent sloths tend to bite when grasped, and anteaters, which have
comparatively similar thick forelimbs and manual unguals, tend to
defend themselves with paw strokes. That would be the way in which
such likely slow, large animals survived for so long, and were so
diverse, when surrounded by large carnivores, northern and southern
alike.