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Description
A West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus) goes for a swim and a pygmy three-toed sloth (Bradypus pygmaeus) clings to its back as the larger mammal does. These two are animals part of the proposed clade Atlantogenata, which includes afrotheres and xenarthrans, the least widespread and diverse branch of placental mammals, but still rather peculiar and extraordinary on their own right. It includes small insectivores, armored mammals, myrmecophages, arboreal animals, fully marine creatures, small herbivores and even the largest terrestrial animals of today. Afrotheres and xenarthrans barely overlap in range, as the latter is restricted to the Americas, and the former clade is largely african in distribution (with a few exceptions). Manatees are the only afrotheres found in the Americas and the only fully herbivorous marine mammals, alongside the dugong (which is not found in the Americas). The pygmy three-toed sloth is only found in one island from Panama that is just a little over 4 square kilometers, and its critically endangered. This is the most endangered species of extant sloth and the coasts of the island are visited by the West Indian manatee. Both manatee and sloth share other commonalities, such as being herbivores, and being unique among most mammals for having a number of cervical vertebrae other than seven, with manatees having six cervical vertebrae and the three-toed sloth having nine. Hardwired into mammalian genetics, a number of cervical vertebrae other than seven in a mammal can create a lot of nasty secondary effects, which both the manatee and sloth can overcome with their strange and slow metabolisms. Both the manatee and the pygmy three-toed sloth are threatened by extinction, and unless humans do something about it, they might as well face extinction futurely.

Description
A West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus) goes for a swim and a pygmy three-toed sloth (Bradypus pygmaeus) clings to its back as the larger mammal does. These two are animals part of the proposed clade Atlantogenata, which includes afrotheres and xenarthrans, the least widespread and diverse branch of placental mammals, but still rather peculiar and extraordinary on their own right. It includes small insectivores, armored mammals, myrmecophages, arboreal animals, fully marine creatures, small herbivores and even the largest terrestrial animals of today. Afrotheres and xenarthrans barely overlap in range, as the latter is restricted to the Americas, and the former clade is largely african in distribution (with a few exceptions). Manatees are the only afrotheres found in the Americas and the only fully herbivorous marine mammals, alongside the dugong (which is not found in the Americas). The pygmy three-toed sloth is only found in one island from Panama that is just a little over 4 square kilometers, and its critically endangered. This is the most endangered species of extant sloth and the coasts of the island are visited by the West Indian manatee. Both manatee and sloth share other commonalities, such as being herbivores, and being unique among most mammals for having a number of cervical vertebrae other than seven, with manatees having six cervical vertebrae and the three-toed sloth having nine. Hardwired into mammalian genetics, a number of cervical vertebrae other than seven in a mammal can create a lot of nasty secondary effects, which both the manatee and sloth can overcome with their strange and slow metabolisms. Both the manatee and the pygmy three-toed sloth are threatened by extinction, and unless humans do something about it, they might as well face extinction futurely.