Fossil of giant sloth found here
GUYANA is known for its lush rainforests and many, many animals. But prehistoric fossils? About a year ago, a Brazilian geologist digging in the Kaburi area (almost the centre of Guyana), found the bones of a giant sloth which walked the earth more than 10,000 years ago. A Guyana Geology and Mines Commission source said a sample from the find was sent to the Royal Ontario Museum in Canada where it was checked and found to be a fossil. The commission visited the site and the Ministry of Culture wrote the National Parks of Idaho in the United States inviting it to send a representative to check the find and take samples back to the U.S. This was done and a report is being awaited, the source said. At the moment, the bones are in a deep pond at Kaburi. They are covered with water and, according to the source, this is a suitable condition until the ministry is advised on further steps. Giant ground sloths were huge bear-like herbivores with peg-like teeth and a thick tail. They had three hook-like claws on each hand. And it is believed that they ate leaves from the tops of trees while standing upright on their hind legs. It was the size of an elephant, measuring 20 feet in length and weighing three tons. These creatures became extinct more than 10,000 years ago. The fossil found here may be about 40,000 years old, the source said. Today, only small sloths, the size of a dog, exist. These animals spend their entire existence hanging suspended from the boughs of trees with the legs and face turned upward and back, downward. (GWEN EVELYN)
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