Ornamentation and defense structures of the pelvic buckler of Eutatus pascuali (Xenarthra, Dasypodidae)

Abstract.- Eutatus pascuali is a large armadillo characteristic of the Lower-Middle Pleistocene of Argentina. The number of published specimens is small and frequently they consist of isolated osteoderms and carapace fragments, in which the dorsal region is usually preserved. In this work we report the presence of modified thick spine-like osteoderms projected laterally on the lateral border of the pelvic buckler. This is a remarkable feature within the Euphractinae that contributes to the knowledge of the appearance of E. pascuali. The presence of spines projecting from the carapace, a convergent adaptation also observed in some Glyptodontinae, could have been developed as a defense against predators.