By Rebecca
Morelle, Science reporter, BBC World Service
Camels are
well known for their ability to survive the hot and dry conditions of the
desert, but a study suggests they once thrived in colder climes.
Scientists
have unearthed the fossilised remains of a giant species of camel in Canada
An analysis of
protein found in the bones has revealed that this creature, which lived about
3.5 million years ago, is an ancestor of today's species.
The research is published in
the journal Nature Communications.
Dr Mike
Buckley, an author of the paper from the University of Manchester
Cold
conditions
The mid-Pliocene
Epoch was a warm period of the Earth's history - but surviving in the Arctic would have still been tough.
The ancient
camels would have had to cope with long and harsh winters, with temperatures
plunging well below freezing. There would have been snow storms and months of
perpetual darkness.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment
You only need to enter your comment once! Comments will appear once they have been moderated. This is so as to stop the would-be comedian who has been spamming the comments here with inane and often offensive remarks. You know who you are!