Giant Armadillo Teeth

These teeth are from the same individual as the calcaneum presented in another of my albums. Notice the occlusal surface is flat from grinding against the opposing teeth. Armadillo teeth have no enamel, so they are not preserved as easily as other mammal teeth. When they are recovered, they have to be handled carefully. One of these teeth had to be restored with an epoxy filler.

Armadillo teeth grew continuously during life. The term used to describe this condition is "hypselodonty" and is usually applied to mammal teeth. Hypselodont teeth are found in xenarthrans, rabbits, some rodents, and a few ungulates, according to Hulbert.