The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1902-03-11
ORIGIN OF THE CAMEL
clews Supplied by Fossils Found
In Arctics and Tropics.
Animals That COuId Endure the
Greatest Extremes of Cold Rs
Well ms Heat-smaII Species
of the Cobb Desert.

Many people think of the camel as
practically tropical animal, perhaps
perhaps because some of it's most
striking characteristics fiji it for cross
ing the Desert of Sahara. Its large
storage of water and the insensitive
soles of its feet naturally suggest
life near the equator. Even the do
INVESTIGATED camels of Asia, whether of
the Persian-Arabian-Af species,
which has but one hump, or those of
Bactrian origin, which are endowed
with two, perform most of their serv-
ice in what is, after all, pretty hot
climate, says the New York Tribune.
However, in a recent number of
"Giobus" DR.. Nehring, of Berlin, lays
stress on the fact that the Bactrian
camel is sometimes found in Siberia,
and can endure the greatest known
extremes of cold as well as those of
heat, If the air is only dry. In the re-
gion west of Lake Baikal the average
winter temperatures are considerably
lower than zero, and are often 40 and
so degrees below that point. The hab-
itat of the camel here overtops that
of the reindeer! Yet in the Cob des-
ert in Turkestan, animals of the same
species have occasion to trot over
earth whose temperature at times
rises to 1870 and lao degrees Fahren-
heit!
There has been much speculation
concerning the origin of the old world
camels. Bactria, the little kingdom
which gives its name to the two
bumped animal, lies only little north
OF Afghanistan. And inasmuch as
fossil remains of the family have been
recovered in the tertiary rocks of the
Siwalik hills, in northern Hindostan, it
has been supposed that this was the
birthplace of the race. But Dr. Neh
ring points out the equipment of
teeth-one of the most vaua BILE clews
in tracing genealogies. Remains have
also been found in Algeria, and the
Berlin naturalist is confident that the
genus thus revealed was connecting
link between the Siwalik camel and the
modern dromedary.
Only at a comparatively recent date
was a satisfactory clew found to the
Bactrian camel's ancestry. But fos-
sils from Roumania, near the Danube,
and from the vicinity of Sarepta, on
the Volga, now indicate pretty clearly
that the modern two-humped came
originated either in eastern Europe or
northwestern Asia. The Russian fos-
sils were associated with teeth be-
longing to the mammoth, from which
it is fair to infer that the climate of
that region was milder whe the bones
were inferred than it is now.
DIR. Nehring refers TO the story told
a few years ago by DR.. Langkavol that
there are camels no bigger than a
horse running wild on the Cobb desert.
Having two humps, they are evidently
related to the domesticated camels of
central and northern Asia. DIR. Nehr-
ing feels, however, that the accounts
thus far received need confirmation.
He wants to see the skins and bones
before he will credit the statements
made concerning the size of these
creatures.
No mention is made of the extinct
camels of America by the contributor
to the pages of "Globus." 1t is well
known that remains have been discov-
cred in the Rocky mountains which
date back as far as any Asiatic fos-
sils and which show long and gradual
development of the race on this CONT
nent. Some of the specimens found
are even smaller than the modern
horse. In like manner, there were
primitive horses in America no bigger
than sheep. Hence the only remark
able part of the story about wild cam
e.s in the Cobb desert which are small
er than those now in the service of man
is that the species should be in exist
ence to-day.
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