Diet and habitat definitions for Mexican glyptodonts from Cedral (San Luis Potosí, México) based on stable isotope analysis

Abstract

Abstract Values for δ 13 C and δ 18 O obtained from molar samples from three individuals pertaining to Glyptotherium sp. from Cedral (San Luis Potosí, México) are provided and are utilized to infer general aspects of glyptodont diet and habitat. On average this animal showed a C 3 /C 4 mixed diet, with a high consumption of C 4 plants. Comparisons of the δ 13 C VPDB and δ 18 O VPDB values for glyptodonts with horses, mastodons, mammoths and tapirs from the same locality show that glyptodonts from Cedral lived in an open habitat.