EDENTATES OR TOOTHLESS ANIMALS (Edentata) THE edentates stand at the bottom of the series of the non-marsupial mammals. In distribution they are almost entirely restricted to South America, the best-known members of the group being the ant-eaters, sloths and armadillos. Of these only the ant-eaters are strictly "edentate" or without teeth; so the name is somewhat misleading, although none of them have any front teeth (incisors) and such teeth as they do possess are often rudimentary and decidedly primitive in character. In former ages we had in North America gigantic beasts of this order, as is shown by the fossil remains of the megalonyx and mylodon, huge sloth-like animals, which existed along with the mastodon and sabre-toothed tigers and doubtless served as the chief source of food supply for the latter. When we think of these former giants it is disappointing to find that our only representative of the edentates within the limits of the United States to-day is a single species of armadillo which crosses the Mexican boundary into the state of Texas. This curious beast, representing the family Dasypodidae is by no means without interest.