Episode Notes

Rachel coincidentally ruins another desert creature and exposes why the vast majority of camels are actually grassland animals. This episode detours into evolution and the veterinary science realm to answer why prairies are probably the cause of the mass extinction of this North American (yeah) animal. Also: camels are weird. And they're not ruminants.

Thanks for listening to our weekly exploration of why grasslands are the best biome. We'll see you next week!

PS check out this cool paleoart of new world camels.

Primary Sources: Be sure to check out photos and more at our site!

• Fowler, M. E. (2008). Camelids are not ruminants. Zoo and Wild Animal Medicine, 375-385. doi:10.1016/b978-141604047-7.50049-x


• PBS Eons: When Camels Roamed North America. PBS Digital Studios


• Friis-Baastad, E. (2017, June 28). Yukon finds force scientists to rethink the Camel family tree.


• Burger, P. A., Ciani, E., & Faye, B. (2019). Old world camels in a modern world – a balancing act between conservation and genetic improvement. Animal Genetics, 50(6), 598-612. doi:10.1111/age.12858


• Cui, P., R. Ji, F. Ding, D. Qi, H. Gao, H. Meng, J. Yu, S. Hu, H. Zhang. 2007. A complete mitochondrial genome sequence of the wild two-humped camel (Camelus bactrianus ferus): an evolutionary history of camelidae. BMC Genomics, 8/241: N/A - open access journal.

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