Note on a Small Chlamyphoridae (Xenarthra, Cingulata) from the Amazon, Brazil

The Awa-Guaja are one of the last hunter-gatherer peoples in the world and live in Indigenous reserves in northwestern Maranhao, Brazil. The Guaja Ethnographic Collection consists of animal remains found during excavations of the community s refuse areas, conducted between 1987 and 1990. This study presents a taxonomic reassessment of a small Cingulata specimen from this collection. The specimen, previously identified as Euphractus sexcinctus, consists of a complete right femur whose taxonomic identity was reevaluated through comparative morphological and metric analyses using specimens from scientific collections and data from the specialized literature. The results revealed that the femur is smaller than those observed in individuals of E. sexcinctus and exhibits a combination of anatomical features resembling those found in the genera Chaetophractus, Cabassous, and Euphractus. Despite these similarities, the observed morphological differences do not allow a reliable identification at the genus level. Therefore, the specimen was provisionally assigned to the family Chlamyphoridae, and its identification was retained at the family level.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
Published
2026-10-29
DOI
https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.10.26.762017
Primary Topic
Amazonian Archaeology and Ethnohistory
Type
preprint
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
preprint

Note on a Small Chlamyphoridae (Xenarthra, Cingulata) from the Amazon, Brazil

Artur Chahud
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
Amazonian Archaeology and Ethnohistory
preprint

Note on a Small Chlamyphoridae (Xenarthra, Cingulata) from the Amazon, Brazil

Artur Chahud
preprint en

Abstract

The Awa-Guaja are one of the last hunter-gatherer peoples in the world and live in Indigenous reserves in northwestern Maranhao, Brazil. The Guaja Ethnographic Collection consists of animal remains found during excavations of the community s refuse areas, conducted between 1987 and 1990. This study presents a taxonomic reassessment of a small Cingulata specimen from this collection. The specimen, previously identified as Euphractus sexcinctus, consists of a complete right femur whose taxonomic identity was reevaluated through comparative morphological and metric analyses using specimens from scientific collections and data from the specialized literature. The results revealed that the femur is smaller than those observed in individuals of E. sexcinctus and exhibits a combination of anatomical features resembling those found in the genera Chaetophractus, Cabassous, and Euphractus. Despite these similarities, the observed morphological differences do not allow a reliable identification at the genus level. Therefore, the specimen was provisionally assigned to the family Chlamyphoridae, and its identification was retained at the family level.

bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
Universidade de São Paulo (BR)
Amazonian Archaeology and Ethnohistory
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.

Laika access coming soon