Did a massive pile of dung cause the extinction of giant ground sloths?

Did These Giant Sloths Poop Themselves to Death? · 11:01 · Video: PBS Eons · Watch at the source

In short: Researchers investigating the site of Tanque Loma discovered the remains of at least 22 giant ground sloths. The leading theory suggests these massive creatures met their end while trapped in an environment overwhelmed by their own waste.

At the Tanque Loma site, paleontologists uncovered the remains of at least 22 individuals belonging to the genus Eremotherium. While scientists have explored five distinct hypotheses to explain this mass mortality event, the most compelling evidence currently points to a grim conclusion: the sloths perished while surrounded by their own accumulated excrement.

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