PRIMEVAL MAN 249 



brother of the north, and, like this brother, big 

 ger and more specialized than any of his Old 

 World kin, which were probably already extinct. 

 Among the ungulates of native origin was 

 the long-necked, high-standing macrauchenia, 

 shaped something like a huge, humpless camel 

 or giraffe, and with a short proboscis. This 

 animal doubtless browsed among the trees. 

 Another native ungulate, the toxodon, as big 

 and heavily made as a rhinoceros, was probably 

 amphibious, and had teeth superficially resem 

 bling those of a rodent. The edentates not only 

 included various ground-sloths, among them the 

 megatherium, which was the size of an elephant, 

 and the somewhat smaller mylodon, but also 

 creatures as fantastic as those of a nightmare. 

 These were the glyptodons, which were bulkier 

 than oxen and were clad in defensive plate- 

 armor more complete than that of an armadillo; 

 in one species the long, armored tail terminated 

 in a huge spiked knob, like that of some forms 

 of mediseval mace. 



The glyptodons doubtless trusted for pro 

 tection to their mailed coats. The ground- 

 sloths had no armor. Like the terrestrial ant- 

 bear of Brazil they walked slowly on the outer 

 edges of their fore feet, which were armed with 

 long and powerful digging claws. They could 



