I Dig Sloths! at UI Museum of Natural History

About 10,000 years ago, three giant sloths died in what is now southwest Iowa.

The first, an adult Megalonyx, was discovered in 2001. The second, a juvenile specimen of the same species was discovered in the spring of 2006. In November 2006 the remains of a third, even smaller individual were found. Now teams at the University of Iowa, and across the country, are investigating to confirm that this was a mother and her babies, the first sloth family of its kind ever found, and discover what the Ice Age environment was like and why they died....

Working like crime scene investigators, teams at the University of Iowa are analyzing evidence found at the scene, including the bones and soil samples containing fossils of pollen, micromammals and vegetation.

Check out Media coverage and News releases to find out what people are saying about the sloths. Look at the Photo album, check out the action Behind the scenes, and read the Expedition reports from each dig. Find out about the New exhibit we're planning, which will go next to Rusty the giant sloth in Iowa Hall. Discover sloth links to dig up more information about sloths. Want to learn more?The Museum conducts an active program of sloth outreach (see past and a few upcoming programs). Bring the sloths to your community. Contact the education and outreach coordinator for more information.

Show your support for the sloth project, or send us your Comments!
The sloth excavation effort is supported in part by a grant from the National Science Foundation.

**The dynamic nature of this project means these pages will be updated frequently -- keep checking back for the latest on the sloth!