Camels used to live in the Arctic, reveal scientists

They are known as the ships of the desert which makes it all the more surprising that the remains of a giant camel have been discovered in the high arctic, The Daily Mail reports.

Bone fragments of the shaggy creature were found on Canada’s Ellesmere Island - the furthest north the species has ever been discovered.

They reveal that the creature must have roamed the frozen northern forests around 3.5 million years ago and that it was 30 per cent larger than its modern counterparts.

Although the region where the fragments were found would have been between 14C to 22C warmer than today, the land would have still been covered with snow for up to nine months of the year.

Scientists claim the discovery may change the way we think of the camels, suggesting they were originally ‘adapted to living in an Arctic forest environment’ instead of their present day habitats.

Traits found in modern camels, such as their humps which serve as a fat store, would have benefited their ancestors during the deep winters when food was scarce.

Other camel characteristics that would have been useful in the frozen conditions include the species’ wide flat feet, which support the animal on loose sand in the same way that a snowshoe helps a person walk on snow.

Their large eyes would also have helped the prehistoric camels forage during months of Arctic darkness.
In total, 30 bone fragments from a tibia, or lower-leg bone, were recovered 750 miles further north than the species has previously ever been found.