Dasypus fossil map
Where fossils of Dasypus have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 0 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 0 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Early mammals |
|---|---|
| Lived | 8 million years ago to the present (Tortonian to Holocene) |
| Periods | Neogene, Quaternary |
| Family | Dasypodidae |
| Named by | Linnaeus 1758 |
| Fossil records | 172 occurrences at 66 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United States, Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Guatemala, Ecuador, Colombia |
| Rock formations | txn:96034, Bermont, Tamiami, Wicomico, Tarija, Long Pine |
About Dasypus
Dasypus is the only extant genus in the family Dasypodidae. Its species are known as long-nosed or naked-tailed armadillos. They are found in South, Central, and North America, as well as on the Caribbean islands of Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago. Members of Dasypus are solitary and primarily nocturnal to avoid temperature extremes and predation. They exist in numerous habitats ranging from brush to grassland areas and are mainly insectivorous. The name is derived from the Ancient Greek words δασύς (dasús), meaning "hair", and πούς (poús), meaning "foot".
The most common and widespread of the Dasypus species is the nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcintus), which is commonly used in the study of leprosy due to its unique ability to contract the disease.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Dasypus (revision 1346010633), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 23 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q902499.
