Why Did America Lose Its Camels?

Camels are not desert animals. They're American. The camel family evolved in North America about 45 million years ago and lived nowhere else for nearly 40 million years. Then camels crossed into Asia, survived Arctic winters, conquered the deserts of Arabia and Africa, and came back to America by ship in 1856. This is the entire history of camels, from a fossil leg bone in the High Arctic to the first camel–guanaco hybrid. 00:00 The camel in the ice 01:26 Camel country 02:53 The great departure 04:09 Camels of the Arctic 05:26 The last American camels 06:59 Ships of the desert 08:11 The Camel Corps 09:50 Australia's camels 10:53 Cousins reunited Main sources: • Rybczynski et al. (2013), Nature Communications: the High Arctic camel from Ellesmere Island • Heintzman et al. (2015), Molecular Biology and Evolution: ancient DNA from Camelops • Waters et al. (2015), PNAS: horse and camel hunting at Wally's Beach, Alberta • Almathen et al. (2016), PNAS: the domestication of the dromedary • Florida Museum of Natural History: Aepycamelus major; US National Park Service: Tule Springs camels • Texas State Historical Association, Handbook of Texas: "Camels" • Saalfeld & Edwards (2010), The Rangeland Journal: feral camels in Australia • Guinness World Records: Rama, the first camel–guanaco hybrid Images and footage via Wikimedia Commons: “Aepycamelus giraffinus and Proc…” by Ryan Somma, CC BY-SA 2.0; “Aepycamelus major FLMNH” by Geekgecko, CC BY 4.0; “Seligman-Beale Wagon Road Trail…” by Marine 69-71, CC BY-SA 4.0; “Camelops hesternus Sergiodlarosa” by Sergiodlarosa, CC BY 3.0; “Camelops hesternus Page” by Jonathan Chen, CC BY-SA 4.0; “Camelops sp” by Photaro, CC BY-SA 4.0; “Camp verde sign 2009” by Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0; “Camel caravan going through san…” by Asfour hamza, CC BY-SA 4.0; “Dubai desert hatta” by Faizalkhan10, CC BY-SA 4.0; “Ellesmere Island 03” by Matti&Keti, CC BY-SA 4.0; “Ellesmere Island 07” by Matti&Keti, CC BY-SA 4.0; “Desert camels” by Mark Marathon, CC BY-SA 4.0; “Boswellia sacra kz04” by Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0; “Journey Beyond Rail Ghan passen…” by Tomoyn, CC BY 4.0; “Guanaco (Lama guanicoe) - Torre…” by Thomas Fuhrmann, CC BY-SA 4.0; “Hi Jolly Monument with Flags” by Jeremy Butler, CC BY 4.0; “Camel Muster On APY Lands Austr…” by Tenniscourtisland, CC BY-SA 3.0; “Snow camel (51249582321)” by Vicky Brock from Tallinn, UK, CC BY-SA 2.0; “Stenomylus AMNH” by Jonathan Chen, CC BY-SA 4.0; “St Mary Reservoir Spillways” by Georgialh, CC BY-SA 4.0; “Strathcona Fiord Fossil Forest…” by Jaelyn J. Eberle, Wighart von Koenigswald snd Davi, CC BY 4.0; “Titanotylopus in the Peabody Mu…” by Strange Biology, CC BY 2.0; “Alpaca (Vicugna pacos)” by The Nature Box, CC BY-SA 4.0; “Aurora borealis timelapse” by Harriniva Hotels&Safaris, CC BY 3.0; “2023-02-17 ZOO LJUBLJANA Camelu…” by NaIzletuSi ™, CC BY 3.0; “2024-06-01 LJUBLJANA ZOO LJUBLJ…” by NaIzletuSi ™, CC BY 3.0; “2023-02-17 ZOO LJUBLJANA Camelu…” by NaIzletuSi ™, CC BY 3.0; “2023-08-18 ZOO LJUBLJANA - Came…” by NaIzletuSi ™, CC BY 3.0; “Video Of Dromedary Animals - Fr…” by Freestocks, CC BY 3.0; “2023-08-18 ZOO LJUBLJANA - Lama…” by NaIzletuSi ™, CC BY 3.0; “2023-08-18 ZOO LJUBLJANA - Lama…” by NaIzletuSi ™, CC BY 3.0; “Llama in ueno zoo - 2009 Aug” by Nesnad, CC BY 4.0; “Solingen - Lützowstraße - Fauna…” by Frank Vincentz, CC BY-SA 3.0; “Pájara - La Lajita - Oasis Park…” by Frank Vincentz, CC BY-SA 3.0; “Qom Province” by Mostafameraji, CC BY-SA 4.0; “Aerial views of Taiga in Russia…” by Flykit production, CC BY 3.0; “Aerial views of Taiga in Russia” by Flykit production, CC BY 3.0; “Time lapse of low clouds drifti…” by Flykit production, CC BY 3.0; “Puerto del Rosario - Tefia - La…” by Frank Vincentz, CC BY-SA 3.0; “Trampeltier Mücke (Tierpark Zit…” by Fiver, der Hellseher, CC BY-SA 4.0; “Vicuñas (Vicugna vicugna), Lagu…” by Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0; “Wild Bactrian camel on road eas…” by John Hill, CC BY-SA 3.0. Public domain: 35 further files from Wikimedia Commons. Music made for Animal History with vidIQ. Thumbnail photo: “The Bactrian Camel of Nubra Valley” by Subhrajyoti Parida, CC BY 4.0. #camels #evolution #history