How the Camel Got its Hump
Camels originated in North America, and the last native ones were more closely related to those now in Africa and Asia, than the llamas in South America
Exploring the origin and history of North American Camels
Camels, despite their iconic status as desert beasts of Africa and the Middle East, are, in fact, native to North America. They evolved here and one lineage migrated into Asia across the Bering land bridge, while a different lineage moved into South America and persists today as llamas and their cousins.
The last North American camels went extinct at the end of the last Ice Age, and scientists had thought they were more closely related to the llama lineage - that they were, in fact, giant llamas.
But new DNA evidence from camel bones recovered in the Yukon, and studied by Dr. Grant Zazula, a paleontologist working for the Yukon Government, and his colleagues, tells a different story. Despite looking superficially llama-like, their DNA indicates they were more closely related to the camels that survive today in the Old World.
Related Links
- Paper in Molecular Biology and Evolution
- CBC News story
- Globe & Mail/CP story