Tuberculated Glyptodont
Panochthus tuberculatus
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Chordata
Mammalia
Cingulata
Chlamyphoridae
Glyptodontidae
Panochthus tuberculatus
The Armored Dome of the Pampas — Panochthus tuberculatus, a fortress on legs, lumbered across the grasslands of Pleistocene South America clad in bony armor that could shrug off predators and weather alike.
Description
Panochthus tuberculatus was one of the largest and most heavily armored glyptodonts — relatives of modern armadillos — and a frequent denizen of the Pleistocene Pampas of Argentina, Uruguay, and southern Brazil. Its domed carapace was composed of thousands of hexagonal bony plates (osteoderms), forming a rigid shell nearly 2 m long. Unlike some other glyptodonts, Panochthus also carried a massive, spiked tail tube capable of delivering crushing blows in defense or combat.
Its distinctive feature lies in the pattern of raised tubercles (bony knobs) across its carapace, giving the shell a pebbled, almost reptilian texture. Its skull was short and deep, with powerful jaw muscles suited to grinding coarse vegetation, sedges, and roots.
Fossils of Panochthus are often found in Pleistocene river sediments and loess plains, suggesting a preference for open, grassy habitats with seasonal watercourses. Its heavy armor likely deterred Ice Age predators such as Smilodon populator and Arctotherium angustidens.
Quick Facts
Max Mass
Shoulder Height
Standing Height
Length
Diet
Trophic Level
1000
1.5
2.25
3
kg
m
m
m
Mixed Feeder
Herbivores – Root/Tuber Feeders
Hunt History
There is limited but tantalizing evidence that early humans may have hunted or scavenged Panochthus. Its extinction aligns closely with the arrival of Paleoindians in southern South America. The enormous shell — essentially a ready-made shelter — may have been repurposed by humans as huts or cooking shelters, a practice documented in folklore and inferred from archaeological finds.
Archaeological and fossil associations:
Pampas Region, Argentina — Abundant complete carapaces and tail tubes in loess deposits (~20,000–10,000 years BP).
La Moderna, Buenos Aires Province — Pleistocene site containing Panochthus bones and early human stone tools (~12,000 years BP).
Tacuarembó Formation, Uruguay — Fossil remains associated with Smilodon predation marks (~25,000 years BP).
Time & Range
Extinction Status
Globally Extinct
Extinction Date
Temporal Range
Region
12000
BP
Late Pleistocene
South America
Wiki Link
Fat Analysis
Fatness Profile:
Low
Fat %
4
Est. Renderable Fat
40
kg
Targeted Organs
Tail-base fat, limb pockets
Adipose Depots
Tail-base pad, limb pockets; limited subcutaneous
Preferred Cuts
Tail-base depot
Hunt Difficulty (x/5)
4