Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
family Mylodontidae

family Mylodontidae

9.9
A group of extinct South American mammals related to ground sloths
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : familia Mylodontidae
  • The family Mylodontidae included some of the largest prehistoric ground sloths ever discovered.

Examples

  • New fossils have shed light on the evolutionary history of the family Mylodontidae.

  • Scientists continue to debate the diet and habits of the extinct family Mylodontidae.

  • The family Mylodontidae includes several extinct species.

  • Did you know about the family Mylodontidae?

  • New fossils have shed light on the evolutionary history of the family Mylodontidae.

  • Scientists continue to debate the diet and habits of the extinct family Mylodontidae.

  • The family Mylodontidae included some of the largest prehistoric ground sloths ever discovered.

Synonyms

Mylodontidae
vsfamily Mylodontidae
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of large ground sloths from South America that are now extinct

is a related group of toothless mammals rather than true ground sloths

Surface Forms

family Mylodontidae singular
families Mylodontidae plural

Morphology

family + Mylodontidae

This is a straightforward taxonomic noun phrase: 'family' denotes a scientific grouping and 'Mylodontidae' is the name of that taxon, so the combined meaning is simply the family called Mylodontidae. The composition follows common naming patterns across languages and poses no idiomatic or metaphorical barrier, so a learner who knows both constituents would understand it.

Etymology

The name family Mylodontidae comes from Greek parts mylo- and -dont, which mean 'grinding' and 'tooth'. One popular idea is that these ground sloths had big teeth for chewing plants, so the name points to their teeth and helps you remember this extinct family of animals.