Camelops
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Camelops Fossil range: late Pliocene to late Pleistocene |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Camelops hesternus in the George C. Page Museum, Los Angeles | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | Camelidae |
| Tribe: | †Camelopini |
| Genus: | †Camelops |
| Species | |
|
†Camelops sulcatus |
|
Camelops is an extinct genus of camels that once roamed western North America, where it disappeared at the end of the Pleistocene about 10,000 years ago. Its name is derived from the Greek κάμελος (camel) + ὀψ (face), thus "camel-face."
Camelops first appeared during the Late Pliocene period and became extinct at the end of the Pleistocene. Its extinction was part of a larger North American die-off in which native horses, camelids and mastodons also died out. This megafaunal extinction coincided roughly with the appearance of the big game hunting Clovis culture, and biochemical analyses have shown that Clovis tools were used in butchering camels.[1]
Because soft tissues are generally not preserved in the fossil record, it is not certain if Camelops possessed a hump, like modern camels, or lacked one, like its modern llama relatives.
Camelops hesternus was seven feet (slightly over two meters) at the shoulder, making it slightly taller than modern Bactrian camels. Plant remains found in its teeth exhibit little grass, suggesting that the camel was an opportunistic herbivore; that is, it ate any plants that were available, as do modern camels.
[edit] Wal-Mart camel
The Wal-Mart camel is the bone fossil of a prehistoric camel (Camelops sp.) found at a future Wal-Mart store in Mesa, Arizona in 2007. Workers digging a hole for an ornamental citrus tree found the bones of a camel that lived 10,000 years ago. Arizona State University geology museum curator Brad Archer calls it an important find and extremely rare.[2] Wal-Mart officials and Greenfield Citrus Nursery owner John Babiarz agreed that the bones will go directly on display in a museum at Arizona State University. Camels lived in what is now Arizona until about 8,000 years ago.[3] More camel bones were found in Gilbert, Arizona in May 2008.[4][5]
[edit] References
- ^ Scott, J. (2009-02-26). "Camel-butchering in Boulder, 13,000 years ago". Colorado Arts and Sciences Magazine. University of Colorado at Boulder. http://artsandsciences.colorado.edu/magazine/2009/02/camel-butchering-in-boulder-13000-years-ago/. Retrieved 2009-05-01.
- ^ http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18397911/
- ^ Bones of prehistoric camel found at Wal-Mart site, East Valley Tribune, April 28, 2007
- ^ Rare camel fossil unearthed in southeast Gilbert, East Valley Tribune, May 25, 2008
- ^ Bones of large prehistoric camel found in Gilbert, The Arizona Republic, May 21, 2008
 |
This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2009) |
[edit] See also
See also Syrian Camel, an extinct species that reached at least nine feet (2.7 m) tall at the shoulder.
 |
This prehistoric even-toed ungulate-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
