15. Social Behavior Evolution
The last main adaptation is the change of their social behaviour patterns. Unlike many mammals, sloths have evolved a mostly solitary lifestyle that reduces energy expenditure on social contacts. Using low-energy messages like faint vocalisations and pheromone markers, their communication systems have developed to be quite efficient. With particular patterns of care that guarantee successful growth without undue energy expenditure, maternal behaviour has evolved to maximise offspring survival while minimising energy input. Their territorial behaviour has changed to reduce direct competition and keep access to necessary resources.