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Though the creature had already been described by science, researchers lacked significant specimens to inspect until Darwin happened upon a Megatherium skull.

Martinelli himself was inspired to become a paleontologist after growing up as a young boy near the Luján River, where Megatherium remains had been discovered.

Upstairs, walking through an exhibit dealing with ancient megafauna, I was non-plussed by the sheer scale of a Megatherium skeleton — indeed, the creature weighed up to four tons and grew to the size of an elephant while consuming vast quantities of vegetation daily.

As with Glossotherium, it’s unclear what caused Megatherium’s demise 12,000 years ago, though some believe climate and hunting played a role.

Megatherium is related to present-day sloths, which face climate and environmental pressures.