1.9" Glyptodon Fossil Osteoderm Spike Scute Plate Bony Armor Pleistocene Uruguay COA

Location: Uruguay

Weight: 0.8 Ounces 

Dimension: 1.9 Inches Long, 1.6 Inches Wide, 0.9 Inches Thick

Comes with a Certificate of Authenticity.

The item pictured is the one you will receive.

This is a real Fossil.

Glyptodon is a genus of extinct giant mammals closely related to modern armadillos, with fossils found across North and South America dating from the Pliocene to Pleistocene epochs (5.3 million to 11,700 years ago). Glyptodon and its relatives, the glyptodonts, were covered from head to tail in thick, protective armor that resembled a turtle shell but was made of bony plates similar to an armadillo’s. The body shell alone could reach 1.5 meters (5 feet) in length. Its tail, also armored, could serve as a powerful weapon; in some relatives, the tip was a spiked or knobbed bone club. Glyptodonts were opportunistic eaters, feeding on plants, carrion, or insects.

Looking at Glyptodon, you might imagine it as a strange hybrid of a turtle, beaver, and armadillo—but in reality, it was only distantly related to armadillos.

One of the most remarkable facts about Glyptodon is its size. It was roughly as long and heavy as a Volkswagen Beetle, measuring about 10 feet and weighing around a ton. Its short legs and massive armored dome made it nearly impervious to predators. However, if a predator managed to flip it over, the soft underbelly would have been vulnerable.

Glyptodon went extinct on the precipice of the last Ice Age, or about 10,000 years ago. Paleontologists believe that climate change wasn’t the only event responsible for this animal’s demise, however. They also believe that this animal was hunted to extinction. Not only would the meat and fur of this animal be highly prized by early South American settlers, but some evidence also points to the fact that they used this animal’s shells as a way to shelter themselves from the cold.