xenarthran

From Ancient Greek ξένος (xénos, “strange”) + ἄρθρον (árthron, “joint”).

xenarthran (plural xenarthrans)

1. (zoology) Any mammal of the of superorder Xenarthra, of the Americas; an anteater, armadillo or sloth.
   • 1978, Terry A. Vaughan, James M. Ryan, Nicholas J. Czaplewski, Mammalogy, page 355,

     Elephant-shrews, xenarthrans, hystricognathous rodents, cetaceans, some pinnipeds, and primates depart sharply from this trend, however.

   • 2000, John F. Eisenberg, Kent H. Redford, Mammals of the Neotropics, Volume 3: Ecuador, Bolivia, Brazil, page 90,

     Xenarthrans appear to have originated in South America and to have undergone their major adaptive radiation there (Reig 1981).

   • 2008, Christine Argot, 3: Changing Views in Paleontology: The Story of a Giant (Megatherium, Xenarthra), Eric J. Sargis, Marian Dagosto (editors), Mammalian Evolutionary Morphology: A Tribute to Frederick S. Szalay, page 37,

     Only four xenarthran families are extant today, providing little indication of the past richness of the order.

   • 2010, Ana Maria Jansen, André Luiz Rodrigues Roque, 11: Domestic and Wild Mammalian Reservoirs, Jenny Telleria, Michel Tibayrenc, American Trypanosomiasis: Chagas Disease: One Hundred Years of Research, page 249,

     Marsupials and xenarthrans, which represented the autochthonous mammalian fauna, were T.^{[Trypanosoma]} cruzi’s first hosts.

The xenarthrans were previously included within now obsolete (polyphyletic) order Edentata, along with aardvarks and pangolins.

• (any species of Xenarthra): edentate (obsolete classification)

• (any species of Xenarthra): anteater, armadillo, glyptodont, pampathere, sloth