Doedicurus fossil map
Where fossils of Doedicurus 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 | Ice Age & later mammals |
|---|---|
| Lived | 5 million years ago to the present (Zanclean to Holocene) |
| Periods | Neogene, Quaternary |
| Family | Glyptodontidae |
| Named by | Burmeister 1874 |
| Fossil records | 20 occurrences at 20 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil |
| Rock formations | txn:43568, Lujan, Dolores, San José, Agua Blanca, Luján |
About Doedicurus
Doedicurus, from Ancient Greek δοῖδυξ (doîdux), meaning "pestle" and oυρά (ourá), meaning "tail", is an extinct genus of glyptodont from South America containing one species, D. clavicaudatus. Glyptodonts are a member of the family Chlamyphoridae, which also includes some modern armadillo species, and they are classified in the superorder Xenarthra alongside sloths and anteaters. Being a glyptodont, it was a rotund animal with heavy armor and a carapace. Averaging at an approximate 1,400 kg (3,100 lb), it was one of the largest glyptodonts to have ever lived. Though glyptodonts were quadrupeds, large ones like Doedicurus may have been able to stand on two legs like other xenarthrans. It notably sported a spiked tail club, which may have weighed 40 or 65 kg (88 or 143 lb) in life, and it may have swung this in defense against predators or in fights with other Doedicurus at speeds of perhaps 11 m/s (40 km/h; 25 mph).
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Doedicurus (revision 1374829120), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 22 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q18510893.
