Glyptodon

Glyptodon ("grooved [or] carved tooth") was a large, armoured mammal that resembled and was a relative of the armadillos. It gave its name to the family of glyptodonts. They lived during the Pliocene and Pleistocene, from about 2.5 million years ago to 10,000 years ago.

Description
Glyptodon looked similar to tortoises or armadillos, although they are only related to the latter. Its most distinguishing feature was a large shell which was composed of over 1000 scutes, each 2.5 centimetres (1 inch) thick. Like human fingerprints, each Glyptodon's scute pattern was different. The tail of Glyptodon was also armoured, though separate from the shell. To support the weight of all this armor, they had massive limbs and a strong shoulder girdle.

A fully grown Glyptodon could reach 4 metres long, 1.5 meters high and 2 tons in weight, about the size and shape of a Volkswagen Beetle automobile.

Glyptodon, and most of the American megafauna, became extinct by about 10,000 years ago. It is believed that humans hunted these animals and used their bony shells as shelters during inclement weather.

Classification
As a xenarthan, Glyptodon was related to giant ground sloths such as Megatherium. The group also includes modern sloths, armadillos, and anteaters. Although Glyptodon evolved in South America, it is often depicted with North American animals such as woolly mammoths. This is because when the two continents joined, animals from both areas crossed the bridge and created a new ecosystem. Glyptotherium was a closely related genus of Glyptodon, and did reach North America during this time.

Discovery
Glyptodon was described by Richard Owen in 1839.

Diet
Glyptodon was a omnivore. It had deep jaws with attachments for strong muscles, which would allow it to chew tough plants such as leaves and grass. It sometimes ate small insects as well.

In popular culture
Glyptodon was a common subject in books about dinosaurs (despite not being one) and the ice ages, and there are several reconstructions of the animal by paleoartists of the early 20th century. In more recent years, Glyptodon has also appeared in the Ice Age film franchise.