Giant Paleoburrows in South America Thought to be Dug by Ground Sloths

Discover Magazine is reporting on giant paleoburrows that have been identified in the Amazon Basin in South America. The burrows are thought to have been excavated by Ice Age megafauna.

The morphology of the caves as well as the youthful nature of the material they are found in, suggests that they were dug perhaps by giant ground sloths or giant armadillos. The full article in Discover Magazine can be read here. (The images I have included in this post are from the article).

Researchers note that these paleoburrows have been also identified from the southern Brazilian states of Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul, but not across the border in Uruguay. They also have not been identified north of the Amazon. Now some are beginning to wonder if they simply have not been recognized, although a lack of suitable rock type or the distribution of species could also explain their absence elsewhere.