The closest relative of
Paracamelus is disputed, with authors variously suggesting
Megacamelus, Procamelus, and
Megatylopus as likely candidates. with the earliest fossils in Africa around the Miocene-
Pliocene boundary, approximately 5.3 million years ago, though they may have dispersed into the region somewhat earlier.
Paracamelus is the presumed ancestor of modern
Camelus.
Camelus is distinguished from
Paracamelus by the loss of the lower third premolar. Fragmentary remains of camels, referred to as
cf. Paracamelus, are known from
Ellesmere Island in the
Arctic Circle in the far north of North America, dating to the
Pliocene, around 3.4 million years old, when global temperatures were around 2-3 °C warmer than present, with the local environment being a
boreal forest. These camels may have survived in the region into the
Early Pleistocene based on poorly dated fossils found in
Yukon. The close relationship between these high Arctic and Yukon camels and modern
Camelus has been confirmed by analysis of their
collagen sequences. == References ==