I WONDER WHERE DO CAMELS COME FROM ?
from this website I have learnt that according to a study published today in Nature Communications, researchers have evidence that camels lived all the way up in Canada’s northernmost territory, now home to polar bears, grey wolves and caribou. Far from feeling out of place, camels were ideally suited for the region’s harsh winters and incredibly, the same features that helped them withstand the cold would later help their successors brave the desert.
Before the latest find,researchers unearthed 30 bone fragments between 0.5 and 3 inches long. “It took three field seasons to recover all of the bones that we currently have,” said Natalia Rybczynski of the Canadian Museum of Nature, who led the expedition.Once the fragments were assembled like puzzle pieces, a cloven-hoofed limb resembling those of ancient camels began to take shape. Next, researchers used a technique known as collagen fingerprinting to analyze connective tissue from the bones, which they then compared to Yukon camel specimens and modern dromedaries. The tests confirmed that the fossilized shards probably came from an Arctic camel.
judging by the size of its leg, scientists concluded that the Arctic camel was about 30 percent larger than today’s desert varieties. Otherwise. “For example, the wide, flat feet that are useful for walking on sand could also have been useful for walking on snow. In addition, the hump serves as fat storage, so this could have been essential for an animal that would have to survive a long, dark, cold winter. In addition, camels have very large eyes that could also be suitable for seeing in low light.”So which came first, the desert dweller or the winter warrior? Despite their strong association with the Middle East and Africa, camels actually originated in North America some 45 million years ago. Between 3 and 5 million years ago, they crossed the Bering land bridge to Eurasia and eventually migrated south. They also ambled down to South America, where they evolved into llamas and alpacas.
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