Eutatus

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Eutatus
Temporal range: Early Miocene-Late Pleistocene (Santacrucian-Lujanian)
~17.5–0.012  Ma
Eutatus punctatus, dasipodid, Museu de Ciencies Naturals de Valencia.JPG
Eutatus punctatus skeleton
Carcassa d'Eutatus punctatus, dasipodid, Museu de Ciencies Naturals de Valencia.JPG
Eutatus punctatus armour
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Cingulata
Family: Chlamyphoridae
Genus:† Eutatus
Gervais 1867
Species [1]

Eutatus is an extinct genus of large armadillos of the family Chlamyphoridae. It was endemic to South America from the Early Miocene to Late Pleistocene, living from 17.5 Ma-11,000 years ago, with possible survival into the early Holocene (~ 7,500 BP) [2] and existing for approximately 17.49 million years. [1]

Contents

Taxonomy

Eutatus was named by Gervais (1867). The type species is E. seguini. It was assigned to Dasypodidae by Carroll (1988). [3]

Fossil distribution

The fossil remains are confined to Argentina and have been found in the Santacrucian Santa Cruz Formation, [4] Ensenadan Miramar Formation, [5] and the Lujanian Luján Formation. [6]

Palaeobiology

The overall masticatory apparatus morphology of Eutatus suggests that it was adapted for browsing. [7] Based on carbon isotope ratios, however, it is thought to have been an herbivore that fed on grasses. [2]

References

  1. 1 2 Eutatus at Fossilworks.org
  2. 1 2 Prado, J. L.; Martinez-Maza, C.; Alberdi, M. T. (2015). "Megafauna extinction in South America: A new chronology for the Argentine Pampas". Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology . 425: 41–49. Bibcode:2015PPP...425...41P. doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2015.02.026.
  3. ↑ R. L. Carroll. 1988. Vertebrate Paleontology and Evolution. W.H. Freeman and Company
  4. ↑ Coy Inlet at Fossilworks.org
  5. ↑ Punta Hermengo at Fossilworks.org
  6. ↑ Paso Otero-Pardo at Fossilworks.org
  7. ↑ Vizcaíno, Sergio F.; Fariña, Richard A.; Bargo, M. Susana; Iullis, Gerardo De (2004). "Functional and phylogenetic assessment of the masticatory adaptations in Cingulata (Mammalia, Xenarthra)". Ameghiniana (in Spanish). 41 (4): 651–664. ISSN   1851-8044 . Retrieved 5 October 2025– via Ameghiniana.
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