Camelops

Camelops is an extinct genus of camel that lived in North and Central America from the middle Pliocene (from around 4-3.2 million years ago) to the end of the Pleistocene (around 13-12,000 years ago). It is more closely related to living camels than to lamines (llamas, alpacas, vicuñas, and guanacos), making it a true camel of the Camelini tribe. Its name is derived from the Ancient Greek ( , "camel") and ( , "face"), i.e. "camel-face". Camelops lived across Western North America, ranging from the Pacific Coast to the Great Plains, southwards to Honduras and northwards to Alaska. Camelops became extinct as part of the end-Pleistocene extinction event, along with most large mammals across the Americas. The extinctions followed the arrival of humans to the Americas, and evidence has been found indicating that humans butchered Camelops, suggesting that hunting may have been a factor in its extinction.

Camelops is an extinct genus of camel that lived in North and Central America from the middle Pliocene (from around 4-3.2 million years ago) to the end of the Pleistocene (around 13-12,000 years ago). It is more closely related to living camels than to lamines (llamas, alpacas, vicuñas, and guanacos), making it a true camel of the Camelini tribe. Its name is derived from the Ancient Greek ( , "camel") and ( , "face"), i.e. "camel-face". Camelops lived across Western North America, ranging from the Pacific Coast to the Great Plains, southwards to Honduras and northwards to Alaska. Camelops became extinct as part of the end-Pleistocene extinction event, along with most large mammals across the Americas. The extinctions followed the arrival of humans to the Americas, and evidence has been found indicating that humans butchered Camelops, suggesting that hunting may have been a factor in its extinction. ==Taxonomy and evolution== ==Description== Camelops hesternus was a large camel with a bodyform similar to a living dromedary, reaching a shoulder height of with body mass estimates ranging from to , to around , though the size of the species was variable, with individuals known from the far north of the species range in Alaska and Yukon being considerably smaller than those from elsewhere. Whether Camelops had humps or not like living camels is uncertain. The skull has 1 incisor, 1 canine, 2 premolars and 3 molars in each half of the upper jaw, and 3 incisors, 1 canine, 1 premolar and 3 molars in each half of the lower jaw. The upper first premolar and both upper and lower second premolars are absent, with the lower first premolar usually absent and only occasionally present. The molar and premolar teeth are very high-crowned (hypsodont), with the molars being slender relative to their length, with the canines, upper third premolar and lower fourth premolar being reduced in size. The premaxilla bone is robust, with the rostrum of the skull being elongate, with the facial region of the skull not exhibiting considerable shortening. The nasal bones are strongly arched. The brain is relatively large, estimated at . The mandible is relatively deep. The limbs are relatively elongate (around 20% longer than those of living dromedaries ) but robust. The metapodial bones are robust and relatively short. ==See also== Aepycamelus Eulamaops Oxydactylus Poebrotherium Procamelus Protylopus Stenomylus Syrian camel, an extinct species that reached at least tall at the shoulder Pleistocene megafauna Snowmastodon Project ==References==

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