What is the Xenarthra?
Q: What is the Xenarthra?
A: The Xenarthra is a superorder of placental mammals (infraclass Eutheria) which includes anteaters, tree sloths, and armadillos.
Q: Where do they live?
A: They currently only live in the Americas.
Q: How far back can their origins be traced?
A: Their origins can be traced back as far as the Palaeogene period, about 60-65 million years ago (mya).
Q: How did they spread to Central and North America?
A: They spread to Central and North America as part of the Great American Interchange.
Q: What does the name Xenarthra mean?
A: The name Xenarthra means 'strange joints', referring to their vertebral joints which have extra articulations unlike those of any other mammals.
Q: Where are male testicles located in xenarthrans?
A: Male testicles are located between the bladder and rectum in xenarthrans.
Q: What is unique about xenarthran metabolism compared to other therians? A: Xenarthrans have the lowest metabolic rates among all therians.
