Lomaphorus is a possibly dubious extinct genus of glyptodont that lived during the Pleistocene in eastern Argentina.[2] Although many species have been referred, the genus itself is possibly dubious or synonymous with other glyptodonts like Neoslerocalyptus from the same region.[3][2][1]
The genus name Lomaphorus is derived from the Greek roots loma- meaning "fringe" and -phorus meaning "bearing" after the striated anatomy of the dermal armor of L. imperfectus.[4][5] In 1935, a Trematode was named Lomaphorus unwittingly, but it has since been moved to a new genus name, Lomasoma.[6]
The first fossils referred to Lomaphorus were described as early as 1857 with the description of Glyptodon elevatus based on dorsal carapace osteoderms recovered from Pleistocene deposits in Argentina, but majority of the fossils were described by Argentine paleontologist Florentino Ameghino during the late 19th century.[7][5] Several more species were referred to the genus that later were synonymized with more complete species or their own genera, Ameghino even admitting that many of his species were diagnosed based on very fine details that could be individual variation.[5][8] Many species have been named as or referred to Lomaphorus, but most of these referrals or descriptions were erroneously based on taphonomic characteristics of fossilized osteoderms instead of genuine diagnostic features.[1][2] Few species have received detailed descriptions either, further complicating the situation.[8][9][1]
Due to problems with the diagnostics of Lomaphorus and its problems with its internal taxonomy, many of the diagnostic traits for the taxon are uncertain. Lomaphorus, like most of the glyptodons, was large at 2.5 meters long but not as large as its relative Hoplophorus.[5] Lomaphorus possessed a powerful carapace that covered a large part of the body, formed by osteoderms melted together. The carapace was relatively low and long, but not as much as that of the Neosclerocalyptus. The dorsal plates brought a central figure of medium size, surrounded by a peripheral area of radial ornamentation. The tail was protected thanks to a series of bone rings and a terminal bone tube; The latter still retained a narrow peripheral band, and was equipped with large side osteoderms. At the end of the tube there were two great convex osteoderms.