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Xenarthra
The order Xenarthra or Edentata is a group
of placental mammals, extant today only in the Americas.
It includes the following families:
- Myrmecophagidae (anteater)
- Megalonychidae (two toed sloth)
- Bradypodidae (three toed sloth)
- Dasypodidae (armadillo)
The order was originally called Edentata, meaning toothless, because the members do not have front incisor teeth or molars, or have poorly-developed molars. It is now called Xenarthra, meaning strange joints, because their vertebral joints are unlike those of all other mammals.
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