604 



ZOOLOGY 



SECT. 



and characterised by an extremely modified dentition, the only 

 functional teeth being a single pair of large incisors in the middle 



Pig. 1281.— Thylacoleo carnifex. Side view of skull. (After Flower.) 



in both upper and lower jaws, with a single elongated trenchant 

 pre-molar on each side both above and below. 



Among the Edentata the majority of fossil, as of existing forms 

 have been found in South America. But the family of the Cape 

 Anteaters, at the present day confined to South Africa, is proved, 

 by the discovery of remains in the Pliocene of the island of Samos 

 in the Eastern Mediterranean and in the Eocene of Southern 

 France, to have formerly had a wider distribution. The 

 American fossil Edentata, all of Pleistocene age, comprise, 

 in addition to extinct genera of Armadillos (some of gigantic 



Fig. 12S2.-Glyptodonclavipes. (After Owen ) 



size) and one genus of Sloths, representatives of two extinct 

 families, the Glyptodontidoi and the Megatheriidce.^ The former 

 (Fig. 1232) are large Edentates resembling the Armadillos in 



' Recent remains stated to belong to a Megatherium have been found in 

 South America. 



