132 THE WHITE RIVER BADLANDS 



CAMELIDAE 



The camel originated in North America. The earliest 

 and most primitive ancestors are found here and the evi- 

 dence shows that the family had traveled far on its road to- 

 ward modern camels before conditions became favorable 

 for their migation to other continents. 



At present the family consists of but two phyla, 

 Camelus and Llama. Of the camels proper there are but 

 two species, Camelus dromedarius or Arabian (one-hump- 

 ed) camel, and Camelus bactrianus or Bactrian (two- 

 humped) camel. They inhabit the desert regions of North- 

 ern Africa, Arabia, and Central Asia. The llamas, includ- 

 ing alpacas, guanacos, and vicunas, live only in the arid 

 highlands of South America. 



Figure 68 — Skull of the Oligocene camel, Poebrotherium wilsoni. 

 Wortman, 1898. 



The camels are among the earliest domesticated ani- 

 mals of which we have knowledge and since the dawn of 

 human history they seem not to have been known in the 

 truly wild state. We lose ourselves in meditation as we 

 think of the position these stupid ungainly creatures have 

 made for themselves in the history of old world transporta- 

 tion but let us not fail to reflect that their earliest ancestral 

 history lies at our own door-way. Ages before Joseph was 

 sold by his brethren to the Ishmaelitic caravan from Gilead 

 the forerunners of these useful beasts of burden were roam- 

 ing in great numbers the wilds of what we now know as 

 South Dakota and neighboring states seeking the comforts 

 of a primitive living and looking forward in some mysterious 

 way to the convenience of elastic pads for their feet, fleshy 

 humps for their backs and water pockets for their stomachs. 

 Concerning their distribution Scott says: 



