noun
- An extinct armored mammal of the Pleistocene epoch, resembling a giant armadillo with a large bony shell covering its body.
Usage: paleontology; often capitalized when referring to the genus Glyptodon
Examples
- The glyptodont was one of the largest land mammals to roam South America during the Pleistocene.
- Fossils of glyptodonts have been discovered in Argentina and other parts of South America.
- Unlike modern armadillos, the glyptodont had a rigid, dome-shaped shell that could not roll up.
- Scientists believe the glyptodont went extinct approximately 10,000 years ago.
- The glyptodont's massive size and heavy armor made it a formidable creature of its time.