The origin of camels is a topic that baffles many people, and there are various theories about their evolution. Today, you’ll learn about the true origin of camels.
Where Does the Word “Camel” Come From?
The word “camel” is derived from the Latin Camelus. When we talk about a “camelid,” we are referring to any of the seven members of the Camelidae famiglia:
- Dromedary
- Bactrian
- Wild Bactrian
- Lama
- Alpaca
- Guanaco
- Vicuña
The True Origin of Camels
The origin of the camel begins with the first known ancestor, named Protylopus, which lived in North America over 40 to 50 million years ago during the Eocene epoch. It was the size of a rabbit and lived in the open forests of what is now South Dakota.
However, 35 million years ago, the Poebrotherium emerged, which was the size of a goat and had many more features similar to modern camels and llamas.
The direct ancestor and true origin of the modern camel was the Procamelus, which existed during the late Miocene and early Pliocene epochs.
About 3 million years ago, camelids migrated from the prairies of the United States and Canada to South America (giving rise to llamas, guanacos, and vicuñas) and to Europe and Asia via the Bering Strait. These camelids are the ancestors of the two-humped Bactrian camel and the single-humped dromedary. They eventually disappeared from Europe and became limited to the deserts of Asia and Africa.
The Most Abundant Camel Species
Il Arabian camel (dromedary), by far the most abundant today, appeared only about 6,000 years ago, shortly before the first dynasty of Egyptian pharaohs.
When Did Camels Go Extinct in America?
Camels went extinct in North America during the last Ice Age, 80,000 years ago. Unlike horses, which were reintroduced by Europeans in the 16th century, camels never returned to the continent.
However, in the mid-19th century, the United States Army attempted to create a “Camel Corps” to fight against Native American tribes in Florida. Camels were brought from North Africa to New York by ship. There was one key factor the Americans failed to consider, as we’ve mentioned in another post: camels frighten horses.
Ultimately, the camels were abandoned in the California desert, where they lived until the 20th century. The last known living camel was sighted in Texas in 1941.
An Extinct Species
An extinct species of camel in the separate genus Camelops, known as Camelops hesternus, evolved in North America about 5 million years ago and disappeared 10,000 years ago. Its remains have been found from Mexico to Canada, and it’s believed to have been a very resilient animal, much like the camels that are still alive today. It disappeared along with horses, short-faced bears, mammoths, mastodons, ground sloths, saber-toothed cats, and many other megafauna, coinciding with the migration of humans from Asia.
Where Are Camels Now?
Il dromedary, also known as the Arabian camel, lives in the Middle East and the Horn of Africa, while the Bactrian camel lives in Central Asia. The critically endangered wild Bactrian camel is found only in remote areas of northwestern China and Mongolia.
