THE 
AMERICAN NATURALIST 
N^ 
THE EDENTATA OF NORTH AMERICA. 
JORTH America has possessed during late Cc-enozoic times a 
iiited number of species of Edentata, which have been 
oudiers of the great horde which has peopled South America 
since the Eocene. 
This order embraces two suborders, whose characters were first 
noticed by Flower,^ and whose names were given by Gill.^ 
Mutual articulations of posterior dorsal and 
lumbar vertebrae normal ; Noinarthra. 
Posterior dorsal and lumbar vertebrct with 
episphen and zygantrapophyses \\'hich 
bear articular surfaces; Xcnarthra. 
Of these divisions it is evident that the Nomarthra are the least 
.specialized, and must be regarded as ancestral to the Xcnarthra. 
Neither of the living families of Nomarthra can, however, claim 
this position, as they are too .specialized in various parts of their 
-Structure. They are now exclusively Old World, while the 
Xcnarthra are confined to the New World. The families are dis- 
tinguished as follows : 
NOMAKTHR.\. 
No dermal .scuta; teeth, each composed of 
parallel dental elements ; Orycteropodidce. 
Body covered with corneous scuta ; no teeth ; Manida. 
