Vulnerable Prehistoric Giants

Prehistoric hunters surrounding a glyptodont. The remains of glyptodonts, a group of extinct giant armadillos, indicate that humans spread to South America earlier than previously assumed. Found in northwestern Venezuela, the fractured skulls could represent evidence of hunting by humans, says UZH paleontologist Marcelo Sánchez. Skilled human hunters are also likely to have contributed to pushing the large, heavily armored animals over the brink. Stefan Stöcklin Northern Venezuela must have been a paradise for flora and fauna. Some 18,000 years ago, mighty mastodons would trudge across the humid landscape, with giant snakes slithering through the jungle and huge sloths slowly moving about in the treetops. A glyptodont would quench its thirst at a watering hole and then retreat into the shade - and suddenly find itself surrounded by a group of humans, armed with spears and clubs.