Holmesina Explained

Holmesina is a genus of pampathere, an extinct group of armadillo-like xenarthrans that were distantly related to extant armadillos. Like armadillos, and unlike the other extinct branch of megafaunal cingulates, the glyptodonts, the shell was made up of flexible plates which allowed the animal to move more easily. Holmesina individuals were much larger than any modern armadillo: They could reach a length of 2m (07feet), and a weight of 227kg (500lb), while the modern giant armadillo does not attain more than 54kg (119lb).^[1]

Distribution

They traveled north during the faunal interchange, and adapted well to North America, like the ground sloths, glyptodonts, armadillos, capybaras, and other South American immigrants. Their fossils are found from Brazil to the United States,^[2] mostly in Texas and Florida.

Diet

Holmesina species were herbivores that grazed on coarse vegetation; armadillos are mostly insectivorous or omnivorous.^[3] H. paulacoutoi was a generalist plant-eater but had a preference for C₄ plants.^[4]

Further reading

• J. C. Cisneros. 2005. New Pleistocene vertebrate fauna from El Salvador. Revista Brasileira de Paleontologia 8(3):239-255
• P. J. Gaudioso, G. M. Gasparini, and R. M. Barquez. 2016. Paleofauna del Pleistoceno de Termas de Rio Hondo, Santiago del Estero, Argentina. Ameghiniana 53(6):54-54
• J. I. Mead, S. L. Swift, R. S. White, H. G. McDonald, and A. Baez. 2007. Late Pleistocene (Rancholabrean) glyptodont and pampathere (Xenarthra, Cingulata) from Sonora, Mexico. Revista Mexicana de Ciencias Geológicas 24(3):439-449

Notes and References

1. Web site: Yahoo! Groups. https://archive.today/20131124025817/http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/CenozoicLife/conversations/topics/149 . dead . November 24, 2013 .
2. Web site: Holmesina Simpson 1930 . . 17 December 2021.
3. Vizcaíno . S. F. . De Iuliis, G. . Bargo, M. S. . 1998 . Skull Shape, Masticatory Apparatus, and Diet of Vassallia and Holmesina (Mammalia: Xenarthra: Pampatheriidae): When Anatomy Constrains Destiny . Journal of Mammalian Evolution . 5 . 4 . 291–322 . 10.1023/A:1020500127041 . 20186439.
4. Lessa . Carlos Micael Bonfim . Gomes . Verônica Santos . Cherkinsky . Alexander . Dantas . Mário André Trindade . December 2021 . Isotopic paleoecology (δ13C, δ18O) of two megamammals assemblages from the late pleistocene of Brazilian intertropical region . . en . 112 . 103576 . 10.1016/j.jsames.2021.103576 . 2021JSAES.11203576L . 3 May 2024 . Elsevier Science Direct.