Why sloths defecate on the ground: rejection of the mutualistic model

Why sloths defecate on the ground: rejection of the mutualistic model

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Introduction: Sloths are arboreal mammals that defecate on the eagles head coach hoodie ground, increasing the risk of predation.There are several hypotheses that try to explain why they undergo this risk.Objective: To critically review all the hypotheses and to propose a new hypothesis that is compatible with all known data.

Methods: I verified the assumptions and implications of five hypotheses against the literature available February, 2021.Results: Previous hypotheses either lack reliable supporting data, or are contradicted by published data.Here I propose that defecation on the ground is an ancestral behavior that persists in all sloth species because there has not been enough natural selection against it.

Conclusions: Current knowledge of sloth biology is compatible with the hypothesis that there has not been enough selective pressure for sloths to powell and mahoney bloody mary mix abandon defecation on the ground.