E'DENTA'TA, or BRU'TA (Lat. nom. pl.. toothless, from c, out (lens, tooth). An order of Mammalin, established by envier, who re marked that, although brought together by a purely negative character. the Edentata have, nevertheless, some positive mutual relations, par ticularly in the great claws which approximate to the nature of hoofs; also in a certain slowness or want of agility, obviously arising from the pecu liar organization of their limbs. He included among them. however. the monotremes. now en tirely separated. The ant-eaters and pangolins are the only Edentata that are absolutely destitute of teeth; hut none of the order bare any teeth in the fore part of their jaws. and their teeth are comparatively imperfect in structure, being des titute of enamel and distinct roots: they grow from a distinct pulp, are all alike, and (ex•ept in Tatusia I are not preceded by a set of milk teeth. The sloths alone subsist on vegetable food. the rest chiefly on insects or on animarsubstanees in a (leenying state. The Edentata form one of the smallest orders of mammals; its head quarters are in South America, but some species are found in Africa and southern Asia. All are clothed with coarse hair, which in the sloths and ant-caters conudetely covers the holy; in the pangolins is united into overlapping plates or scales: and in the armadillos is very sparsely scattered over the body. which is otherwise pro
teeted by dermal plates. The Edentata are generally ranked as the lowest of the placental mammals, not merely because of the condition of the teeth, lint because the brain is small and poorly developed. the cerebrum not nearly cover ing the cerebellum. and being perfectly smooth. The order is generally grouped in (ivy tribes or suborders, the sloths (Tardigrada), which arc characteristic of South Ani•riva; the pangolins (Squaw:all ), found only in Asia and Africa : the armadillos (Loricata ), found from Texas south ward in America; the true ant-eat•rs (Vcinii litignia), found only in South America ; and the aardvarks ( Fodientia), found only in South Africa. No living Edentata are known in Europe. Consult: Rapp, Anutontic Untensue/ma gt iiber die Edentata (2)1 ed.. Berlin, 1852) ; Flower. "Mutual Affinities of the Edentata." in Proceedings Zoidogical Society of London (Lon don, 1882) Thomas, "A Milk Dentition in Orycteropus," in Proeccilings Royal Swirly of London, vol. xlvii. ( London. 1890) : Beddard, Maninialia (London, 1902); also authorities re ferred to under the various groups, as Surrit, etc. Plate of ANTEATERS.