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ULTRA
RARE GIANT ARMADILLO
SMALLEST DIGIT TOE CLAW AND PHALANGE
Gilchrist County - Florida, U.S.A.
LATE
PLIOCENE
PERIOD: 3.2 - 1.8 million years ago
From Late Pliocene deposits in Florida, this
is a magnificent claw and associated phalange set of the extinct Giant Armadillo
Holmesina floridanus.
This specific digit is the smallest and is rarely found. The bone
and claw came from the same animal and were found together. High
grade fossils such as these, of this strange beast of the last Ice Age in
Florida, are highly uncommon in most fossil collections. Bone and
claw are completely intact and
without damage. Guaranteed NO REPAIR and NO RESTORATION. An
exquisite display specimen from a prehistoric creature most in the
general population have no knowledge of! Highly unique as well as educational.
In North America,
there are two species of Holmesina that are known with both based on
Florida finds. The smaller animal is named, H. floridanus and
lived during the late Pliocene on into the early Pleistocene.
Floridanus' larger cousin at more than twice its size, H. septentrionalis,
ranged from the middle to late Pleistocene.
At over 600 pounds and
exceeding 6 feet in length, the Giant Armadillo must have been one heavy
land tank of an animal. It is believed these creatures spread to
Florida during the Pleistocene from their original domain in South
America. It is still a mystery as to what they ate. Modern
armadillos eat insects but to sustain 600 pounds of body mass would have
required some other type of food source. About 9800 years
ago, a dramatic shift in the climate caused their extinction in Florida.
UNUSUAL,
LESS COMMON SPECIES - PERFECT PRESERVATION IN THIS
RARELY FOUND
FINGER & CLAW SET!
4.7" long
overall, claw alone is 2"
long
$245
LM5-015
INCLUDES DISPLAY BOX Actual
Item - One Only
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