Peltephilus

Pel-tee-fie-lus.
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Benjamin Gutierrez

Vertebrate Paleontologist

Benjamin Gutierrez is a leading expert on dinosaurs, particularly the mighty theropods. His fieldwork in South America has uncovered new species and provided insights into dinosaur social structures.

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Name

Peltephilus ‭(‬Armour lover‭)‬.

Phonetic

Pel-tee-fie-lus.

Named By

Ameghino‭ ‬-‭ ‬1887.‭

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Mammalia,‭ ‬Xenarthra,‭ ‬Cingulata,‭ ‬Dasypodidae.

Diet

Omnivore‭? (‬refer to main text for details‭)‬.

Species

P.‭ ‬ferox

Size

larger species up to about‭ ‬1.5‭ ‬meters long.

Known locations

Argentina,‭ ‬Bolivia,‭ ‬and Chile.

Time Period

Oligocene to early/mid Miocene.

Fossil representation

Remains of a few individuals.

In Depth

       Peltephilus was an extinct relative of today’s armadillos,‭ ‬though its large size makes it comparable to the largest of today’s species such as the giant armadillo‭ (‬Priodontes maximus‭) ‬which has a combined head and tail length of one hundred and fifty centimetres‭ (‬one hundred for the body and fifty for the tail‭)‬.‭ ‬The large triangular teeth of Peltephilus have long since been held as proof of a carnivorous diet,‭ ‬though at least one study by S.‭ ‬F.‭ ‬Vizcaino and R.‭ ‬A.‭ ‬Farina in‭ ‬1997‭ ‬suggested that Peltephilus was a herbivore.

       The most distinctive characteristics of Peltephilus are the large scutes across the back and top of the head and the horns on the snout.‭ ‬The scutes were arranged in bands along the back to allow for a strong yet flexible covering of armour that would have proved a formidable defence against the teeth and possibly beaks of South American predators of this time.‭ ‬At least one pair of horns rose up from the snout between the eyes and nostrils of the skull,‭ ‬with a possible second smaller pair on the front of the snout.‭ ‬Since these horns are not normally seen in other armadillos,‭ ‬they most likely served a species specific purpose of‭ ‬display.‭

       Peltephilus also had large claws on feet that were on the ends of short legs.‭ ‬These would have been perfect for digging,‭ ‬possibly even ripping open ant nests and termite colonies.

Further Reading

– Enumeration Synoptique des especes de mammiferes fossiles des formations Eocenes de Patagonie. – Boletin de la Academia Nacional de Ciencias en Cordoba (Republica Argentina) 13:259-452. – F. Ameghino – 1894. – Mamiferos Cretaceos de la Argentina. Segunda contribucion al conocimiento de la fauna mastologica de las capas con restos de Pyrotherium. – Boletin Instituto Geografico Argentino 18:406-521. – F. Ameghino – 1897. – Diet and locomotion of the armadillo Peltephilus: a new view. – Lethaia, 30, 79-86. – S. F. Vizcaino & R. A. Farina – 1997.

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT