Glyptotherium

Arizonae skeleton of Glyptotherium

• North America (Florida, South Carolina, Texas)

Glyptotherium (gr. " Carved animal " ) is a genus of extinct mammals from the relationship of the armadillos. It is part of how the known, similar Glyptodon genus from South America to the group of Glyptodontidae and is therefore sometimes referred to as " North American Glyptodon ".

Features

Like today's armadillos, the glyptodons had an armor that is similar to a turtle shell covered but the whole body of the animal. The Shell of Glyptotherium consisted of hundreds of small, four - or six-sided plates, which limited due to their close connection, the mobility of the trunk. An adult Glyptotherium reached a length of 180 centimeters.

The typical hexagonal plates of the carapace contributed patterning of central and several surrounding fields, which is used to distinguish the species. The following types are distinguished:

• Glyptotherium arizonae - flat central patterning of the armor plates, a maximum of 50 % of the area
• Glyptotherium cylindricum - flat central patterning of the armor plates, a maximum of 50 % of the area, from Mexico
• Glyptotherium floridanum - Central pattern about the same as the peripheral, weakly concave, Mexico to Florida
• Glyptotherium mexicanum - large central patterning of Mexico
• Glyptotherium texanum - large convex, raised central pattern, occurrence in Florida, South Carolina and Texas

Dissemination

Glyptotherien lived in the tropical and subtropical regions of North America, from Mexico to the Gulf States of the United States to Oklahoma. The extinction of species is probably due to climatic changes at the end of the Ice Age or the action of the people. However, there is no direct evidence that it was actually hunted by humans. The most recent fossil finds of Glyptotherium texanum date from about 12,000 years ago, so from the upper Pleistocene.

Swell

• Jim I. Mead, Sandra L. Swift, Richard S. White, H. Greg McDonald, Arturo Baez: Late Pleistocene ( Rancholabrean ) Glyptodont and Pampa There ( Xenarthra, Cingulata ) from Sonora, Mexico. In: Revista Mexicana de Ciencias Geológicas. 24, No. 3, 2007, ISSN 0185-0962, pp. 439-449, (PDF, 500 KB).