Peltephilus
Appearance
Peltephilus | |
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artist's reconstruction | |
Scientific classification | |
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Genus: | Peltephilus Ameghino, 1887
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Type species | |
P. ferox | |
Species | |
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Peltephilus, the horned armadillo, is an extinct genus of dog-sized, armadillo xenarthran mammals which first inhabited Argentina during the Oligocene epoch, and became extinct in the Miocene epoch. Notably, the scutes on its head were so developed that they formed horns protecting its eyes. Aside from the horned gophers of North America, it is the only known fossorial horned mammal.[1]
Although it had traditionally been perceived as a carnivore because of its large, triangular-shaped teeth, Vizcaino and Farina argued in 1997 that Peltephilus was a herbivore.[2]
Distribution
Fossils of Peltephilus have been found in:[3]
- Oligocene
- Miocene
References
- ^ Palmer, D., ed. (1999). The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. London: Marshall Editions. pp. 208–209. ISBN 1-84028-152-9.
- ^ Vizcaino, S. F., & R. A. Farina (1997), Diet and locomotion of the armadillo Peltephilus: a new view. Lethaia, 30, 79-86.
- ^ Peltephilus at Fossilworks.org
Categories:
- Prehistoric mammal genera
- Prehistoric cingulates
- Oligocene xenarthrans
- Miocene xenarthrans
- Miocene genus extinctions
- Oligocene genus first appearances
- Oligocene mammals of South America
- Miocene mammals of South America
- Mayoan
- Laventan
- Colloncuran
- Friasian
- Santacrucian
- Colhuehuapian
- Deseadan
- Paleogene Argentina
- Neogene Argentina
- Fossils of Argentina
- Paleogene Bolivia
- Neogene Bolivia
- Fossils of Bolivia
- Neogene Chile
- Fossils of Chile
- Fossil taxa described in 1887
- Taxa named by Florentino Ameghino
- Prehistoric mammal stubs