Tank, and only: extinct short-legged giants the size of a car (3 photos)

In the distant past, many large animals that today are usually classified as "megafauna". One of the most unusual genera of these creatures, of course, was the giant armadillos (glyptodon). They were very similar to their smaller ones. relatives that have survived to this day.





Most of the species belonging to the megafauna are not so extinct long ago by geological standards. The planet has lost them for about 10,000 years ago, although particularly "optimistic" experts believe that, for example, individual populations of mammoths survived until the time of construction ancient Egyptian pyramids. Glyptodons, also gone into oblivion in this period, were much larger than modern armadillos, which are not reach even up to a meter in length and weigh about six kilograms. Glyptodons grew up to 3 meters in length and 1.5 meters in height.

Adult glyptodons weighed up to two tons and their main environment habitats were the swamps of South America, but the bones of these creatures were also found in North America. The first fossilized remains of these giants were found in the 20s of the 19th century on the territory modern Uruguay. We are talking about the femur, which at first was identified as belonging to the giant sloth, another extinct representative of the megafauna.

After some time, the constituent parts of the shell were discovered, on the basis of which the absolutely correct assumption was made that once upon a time, very large armadillos lived in this territory. For their designation, several interesting names have been proposed, including including hoplophore, pachypus, schistopleyron and chlamydotherium. However, it got accustomed the name "glyptodon" given by an influential British paleontologist Richard Owen. From Greek, it translates as "sculpted tooth."



Glyptodon's shell is more similar to the one that is not worn today. armadillos, and turtles. It consisted of hundreds of closely adjacent other bone plates that formed a reliable outer protective layer. This armor was able to withstand the attacks of most of the predators of that time, and the Glyptodon was only vulnerable if it could turn over on your back, exposing a soft supple belly. animal head was protected by some kind of armored cap, and the analysis of the musculature suggests that glyptodons were the owners of the proboscis offshoot, like elephants or tapirs.

These tank-like creatures could not only defend themselves, but also fight back if necessary. Glyptodons had powerful tails moreover, in some species they were studded with impressive bone spikes. With the help of this weapon, the ancient armadillos protected their cubs, drove away predators like smilodons or saber-toothed tigers, and could pierce the shells of similar creatures. However, the short clumsily moving giants were not hunters and preferred to as plant food.



Glyptodon is believed to have died out about 10,000 years ago, which is means that in some parts of their habitat they coexisted with people who by that time had already settled both Americas. In this way, it is safe to assume that Homo sapiens preyed on these giants, especially since some facts are right on it indicate. A number of experts generally blame people for the extermination of not only giant armadillos, but also other representatives of the megafauna. There is evidence that the ancient inhabitants of this part of the world used spacious glyptodon shells as shelters and dwellings.