armadillo osteoderms

These are examples of the osteoderms from two species of armadillos in the Family DASYPODIDAE (giant armadillos are in a different family, the PAMPATHERIIDAE).

The smaller bones on the upper left and on the far right belong to a modern nine-banded armadillo, Dasypus novemcinctus. This smaller armadillo is not known as a fossil from Florida.

The larger bones are from the Late Pleistocene armadillo, Dasypus bellus, the "beautiful" armadillo.

The elongated rectangular bones on the right are from the imbricating bands which girdle the shell of these armadillos.

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