Glyptodontidae

Doedicurus (front) and Glyptodon (rear)

• North America (Florida, Texas, Oklahoma)
• South America

The Glyptodontidae or glyptodons are an extinct group ( taxon ) of the Xenarthra ( Xenarthra ). These herbivores reached a weight of 2 tons and wore heavy armor on the back. They lived from the Eocene to the end of the Pleistocene, about 12,000 years ago in South and North America.

Dissemination

Glyptodons originated in the Middle Eocene, in what was then isolated from the other continents South America. Is characteristic of the tank, which probably had the task to protect them from the attacks of the former meat -eaters, as Borhyaeniden and Thylacosmiliden. When formed a land bridge between North America and South America in the Pliocene, streamed several species from North America to South America and ousted the old fauna. The glyptodons proved to be next to some other species of South America but as so adaptable that they in turn penetrated to North America and the southeast of the continent populated. About 12,000 years ago, at the end of the last ice age they died out along with the giant sloths and other large animals in the Americas. Since they are to appear in the legends of the Patagonian Indians is sometimes speculated that they might have survived into historic times.

Appearance

The Glyptodontidae probably descended from the actual armadillos ( Dasypodidae ) and also saw something like oversized, short-snouted members of this family. The armadillos in turn also brought forth some major forms like Pampatherium and Holme Sina, but never reached the dimensions of the largest glyptodons.

In contrast to the armadillos of the carapace at the glyptodons was rigid and motionless. It consisted of a mosaic of polygonal plates of bone and covered the entire dome-shaped hull of these animals. In order to carry the immense weight of the tank, which accounted for up to 20% of the total weight, the animals had short, stocky legs.

The skull wearing a kind of helmet and also the tail was armored by bone rings. Some species had club-like swellings or bone sheaths at the tail end, and Doedicurus about there even seems to have possessed spines. The skull of glyptodons was massive and short, and had large zygomatic arches, which served as starting points for large chewing muscles. Incisors were missing, but they had large molars. It is sometimes suggested that they might have a short snout, like tapirs had.

Way of life

Because of their teeth hochkronigen one concludes that they primarily lived on grass food. Their habitat may have been open, warm savannah areas. Often, especially in North America they were found together with giant capybaras ( Neochoerus ), indicating moist habitats.

Species

A total of about 50 genera of Glyptodontidae were known. Among the earliest was one Glyptatelus, who lived from the Middle Eocene to the lower Oligocene in South America. A little later also lived in South America Propalaeohoplophorus ( Oligocene to Miocene, Palaeohoplophorus ( Miocene ) to Pliocene ) and Urotherium ( Pliocene ) but the most common types are probably Glyptodon and Glyptotherium ( = Boreostracon, Brachyostracon ) from the Pleistocene South or North America. In addition, other South American genera ( Daedicuroides, Doedicurus, Hoplophorus ( = Sclerocalyptus ) Lomaphorus, Neothoracophorus, Panochtus and Paxhaplous ) have been described from the Pleistocene, but are in some cases to very similar, so that a revision of the taxonomy is pending.