''Eutatus'' is an extinct

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

of large armadillos of the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Chlamyphoridae Chlamyphoridae is a family of cingulate mammals. While glyptodonts have traditionally been considered stem-group cingulates outside the group that contains modern armadillos, there had been speculation that the extant family Dasypodidae could ...

. It was endemic to

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sout ...

from the

Early Miocene The Early Miocene (also known as Lower Miocene) is a sub-epoch of the Miocene epoch (geology), Epoch made up of two faunal stage, stages: the Aquitanian age, Aquitanian and Burdigalian stages. The sub-epoch lasted from 23.03 ± 0.05 annum, Ma to ...

to Late Pleistocene, living from 17.5 Ma-11,000 years ago, with possible survival into the early

Holocene The Holocene ( ) is the current geological epoch. It began approximately 11,650 cal years Before Present (), after the Last Glacial Period, which concluded with the Holocene glacial retreat. The Holocene and the preceding Pleistocene togeth ...

(~ 7,500 BP) and existing for approximately .''Eutatus''
at Fossilworks.org Based on carbon isotope ratios, it is thought to have been an herbivore that fed on grasses.

Taxonomy

''Eutatus'' was named by Gervais (1867). The type

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

is ''E. seguini''. It was assigned to

Dasypodidae Dasypodidae is a family of mostly extinct genera of armadillos. One genus, ''Dasypus'', is extant, with at least seven living species. __TOC__ Classification Below is a taxonomy of armadillos in this family. Family Dasypodidae *† Genus ...

by Carroll (1988).R. L. Carroll. 1988. Vertebrate Paleontology and Evolution. W.H. Freeman and Company

Fossil distribution

The fossil remains are confined to

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

and have been found in the Santacrucian

Santa Cruz Formation The Santa Cruz Formation is a geological formation in the Magallanes/Austral Basin in southern Patagonia in Argentina and in adjacent areas of Chile. It dates to the late Early Miocene epoch, and is contemporaneous with eponymous Santacrucian ...

,Coy Inlet
at Fossilworks.org

Ensenadan The Ensenadan age is a period of geologic time (1.2–0.8 Ma) within the Early Pleistocene epoch of the Quaternary The Quaternary ( ) is the current and most recent of the three periods of the Cenozoic Era in the geologic time scale of the ...

Miramar Formation,Punta Hermengo
at Fossilworks.org and the

Lujanian The Lujanian age is a South American land mammal age within the Pleistocene and Holocene epochs of the Neogene, from 0.8–0.011 Ma or 800–11 tya. It follows the Ensenadan. The age is usually divided into the middle Pleistocene Bonaerian stag ...

Luján Formation Luján, Luxan or Luhan, a Spanish people, Spanish surname and given name, might refer to: Tony Lujan Jazz musician.Composer Artist Trumpet And Flughelhorn Born 1956 Albuquerque NM. World Renowned. Extensive Resume. N M Music Hall Of Fame 2020 Ove ...

.Paso Otero-Pardo
at Fossilworks.org

Gallery

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q5414384 Armadillos Prehistoric placental genera Prehistoric cingulates Pleistocene xenarthrans Burdigalian first appearances Pleistocene genus extinctions Pleistocene mammals of South America Santacrucian Ensenadan Lujanian Neogene Argentina Fossils of Argentina Fossil taxa described in 1867