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What are Camelids?

Michael Anissimov
Michael Anissimov
Michael Anissimov
Michael Anissimov

Camelids are a family of even-toed ungulates which separated from their closest relatives, ruminates (cattle, antelopes, goats, etc.), and suines (pigs, peccaries, and hippos) about 47 million years ago, during the middle Eocene. Though they are not true ruminates (they do not chew a cud), camelids have a three-chambered stomach (rather than the ruminates' four-chambered stomach) and unlike suines, they are strictly herbivorous. Camelids include camels, dromedaries, llamas, alpacas, vicunas, and gaunacos.

As some of the earliest mammals to evolve multi-chambered stomachs, camelids represent the evolutionary trend towards adaptation to grasslands and away from woodlands. An event contemporaneous with the evolution of camelids, the Azolla event, caused worldwide carbon dioxide levels to increase rapidly, which initiated global cooling and glaciation at the Poles. This, in turn, killed off most of the tropical and subtropical forests that had dominated the planet during the Mesozoic, and ushered in an "Age of Grasses" that has continued to the present day. Camelids evolved their multi-chambered stomachs to better process nutrient-poor grasses.

Camels have been used to transport goods over arid terrain for thousands of years.
Camels have been used to transport goods over arid terrain for thousands of years.

Camelids initially evolved in North America, which at the time was an island continent. All camelid species that lived in North America are now extinct, the last of them dying out only 10,000 years ago, probably due to hunting and competition with newly arrived human settlers. Camelids lived exclusively in North America for tens of millions of years, only spreading into Asia and South America around 2-3 million years ago, when North America became connected to both continents via land bridges.

Camels are included in the camelid family of ungulates.
Camels are included in the camelid family of ungulates.

Three main groups of camelids survive today: the Dromedary of northern Africa and the Middle East, the Bactrian Camel of eastern Asia, and the Llamas, Alpacas, Vicunas, and Gaunacos of South America. Dromedaries and Bactrian camels are famous for their humps -- dromedaries have one, and Bactrian have two, sometimes causing them to be called one-humped and two-humped camels respectively. The most famous camel is the Dromedary, used widely throughout northern Africa and the Arabian peninsula. Both Dromedary and Bactrian camels have extensive adaptations to survive in nearly waterless environments, such as the Arabian Desert and Gobi Desert. In ancient times, camel caravans brought frankincense from Yemen and Oman across the Arabian Desert, but today, the desert has become so harsh that no one dares cross it.

Michael Anissimov
Michael Anissimov

Michael is a longtime WiseGEEK contributor who specializes in topics relating to paleontology, physics, biology, astronomy, chemistry, and futurism. In addition to being an avid blogger, Michael is particularly passionate about stem cell research, regenerative medicine, and life extension therapies. He has also worked for the Methuselah Foundation, the Singularity Institute for Artificial Intelligence, and the Lifeboat Foundation.

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Michael Anissimov
Michael Anissimov

Michael is a longtime WiseGEEK contributor who specializes in topics relating to paleontology, physics, biology, astronomy, chemistry, and futurism. In addition to being an avid blogger, Michael is particularly passionate about stem cell research, regenerative medicine, and life extension therapies. He has also worked for the Methuselah Foundation, the Singularity Institute for Artificial Intelligence, and the Lifeboat Foundation.

Learn more...

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    • Camels have been used to transport goods over arid terrain for thousands of years.
      By: seqoya
      Camels have been used to transport goods over arid terrain for thousands of years.
    • Camels are included in the camelid family of ungulates.
      By: ruticar
      Camels are included in the camelid family of ungulates.
    • Camelids have a three-chambered stomach.
      By: JaHeBa
      Camelids have a three-chambered stomach.
    • Ancient camel caravans brought frankincense across the Arabian Desert.
      By: Leah-Anne Thompson
      Ancient camel caravans brought frankincense across the Arabian Desert.