Cuvier made another powerful demonstration of the power of comparative anatomy in paleontology when he presented a second paper in 1796 on a large fossil skeleton from Paraguay, which he named Megatherium and identified as a giant sloth by comparing its skull to those of two living species of tree sloth. Cuvier's ground-breaking work in paleontology and comparative anatomy led to the widespread acceptance of extinction.
In 1796, Cuvier presented a paper on a large fossil skeleton from Paraguay named Megatherium, identifying it as a giant sloth by comparing its skull to those of two living tree sloths species. This demonstration of comparative anatomy's strength in paleontology helped establish the concept of extinction.