top of page
Camelidae
Camels, llamas & relatives
1
Number of resurrected species:
Family
Order
Class
Camelidae
Artiodactyla
Mammalia
Description
The Camelidae family is an still extant family that consists of camels, lamas and alpacas. A typical camelid has a long neck, slender legs and they have two toes with small hooves. They are strictly herbivorous, feeding by both grazing and browsing. Most species live in small to large herds in mainly open habitats, like deserts and mountains.
Distribution & Fossil evidence
The family evolved in North America during the Middle Eocene. For a long time, they prospered solely in North America until just a few million years ago, when species spread to South America, Asia and eventually Africa.
Species
The family consisted of many species species during their reign in North America, ranging in size from the small rabbit-sized Protylopus to the large long-necked camels.
Included genera
Aepycamelus
bottom of page