Two-tonne armadillos the size of cars once roamed South America

Fossil analysis shows glyptodonts grew to be as big as Volkswagen Beetles, say scientists

glyptodon_old_drawing.jpg
An artist's impression of humans hunting a Glyptodon
(Image credit: Heinrich Harder)

Huge armadillos the size of cars once roamed the Earth, say scientists.

Glyptodonts, shelled mammals which first evolved about 35 million years ago, were long considered cousins of present-day armadillos. However, fresh analysis of a 14,000-year-old fossil has concluded that the ancient herbivores were the same creature.

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