Armadillo/ Glyptodont Fossils

Armadillo/Glyptodont

Armadillos and Glyptodonts are unusual shelled mammals which migrated from South and Central America during periods of lower sea level during the Pliocene and Pleistocene epochs. Some of the earliest armadillos were giants compared to their smaller relatives today and reached sizes of up to 7 ft.

Glyptodonts looked something like a cross between a giant tortoise and an armadillo. They had large, high-domed shells approx. 4 ft high made up of hexagonal sections known as scutes.  This body armor even extended to the head and tail, with some South American species sporting spiked ends that resembled medieval maces.