glyptodont
/ˈɡlɪptə(ʊ)dɒnt
/noun
A fossil South American edentate mammal of the Cenozoic era, related to armadillos but much larger. Glyptodonts had fluted teeth and a body covered in a thick bony carapace.
- Family Glyptodontidae, order Xenarthra (or Edentata): several genera, including Glyptodon.
- In North America these included mammoths and mastodon, giant ground sloths, and glyptodonts.
- In South America, he discovered the bony plates of glyptodonts - creatures reminiscent of armadillos, but much larger - and (at a separate site) the fossil bones of giant ground sloths.
Origin
Mid 19th century: from Greek gluptos 'carved' (from gluphein 'carve') + odous, odont- 'tooth'.