Edentata

Edentata (Lat., 'toothless'), one of the lowest orders of placental mammals, including sloths, anteaters, armadillos, pangolins, aardvarks, and extinct forms like Megatherium. The order is a very varied one, and few general characters can be given. The teeth are either absent or very imperfect. If present they are uniform in type, all of one set, without roots or enamel, and never situated in the front of the mouth. A superficial distinction into (1) leaf-eaters (Phyllophaga or Tardigrada) or sloths proper, and (2) insect-eaters (Entomophaga or Vermilingua), including all the others, is often drawn. It is better, however, to group the order in the five families of (1) Sloths (q.v.) or Bradypodidae; (2) Ant-eaters (q.v.) or Myrmecophagidae; (3) Armadillos (q.v.) or Dasypodidae; (4) Pangolins (q.v.) or Manidae; (5) Aardvarks (q.v.) or Orycteropodidae. To these the extinct Megatheriidae (see MEGATHERIUM) have to be added.