2" Glyptodon Fossil Osteoderm Spike Scute Plate Bony Armor Pleistocene Uruguay COA
Location: Uruguay
Weight: 1.1 Ounces
Dimension: 2 Inches Long, 1.6 Inches Wide, 1.3 Inches Thick
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This is a real Fossil.
Glyptodon is a genus of extinct giant mammals related to modern armadillos and found as fossils in deposits in North and South America dating from the Pliocene and Pleistocene epochs (5.3 million to 11,700 years ago). Glyptodon and its close relatives, the glyptodonts, were encased from head to tail in thick, protective armor resembling in shape the shell of a turtle but composed of bony plates much like the covering of an armadillo. The body shell alone was as long as 1.5 meters (5 feet). The tail, also clad in armor, could serve as a lethal club; indeed, in some relatives of Glyptodon, the tip of the tail was a knob of bone that was sometimes spiked. Glyptodonts ate almost anything—plants, carrion, or insects.
Glyptodon was a prehistoric giant that might make you think it’s a mix between a turtle, a beaver, and an armadillo—but it was actually a distant relative of today’s armadillos. This massive mammal grew to about 10 feet long and weighed roughly a ton, making it about the size of a small car.
Its most striking feature was the enormous armored dome covering its back, which acted like a natural shield against predators. With short, sturdy legs and a heavily protected body, Glyptodon was well-defended. The only real vulnerability was its soft underbelly—if a predator managed to flip it over, it could be at risk.
Glyptodon disappeared around 10,000 years ago, just as the last Ice Age was coming to an end. Scientists think that changing climates played a role in its extinction, but human hunting likely contributed as well. Early South American settlers may have valued Glyptodon for its meat and fur, and there is evidence that its massive, domed shells were repurposed as makeshift shelters to protect against the cold.
