Radiolab Terrestrials: The Snow Beast
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May 2, 2025 Diving into the Arctic, a paleobiologist uncovers a three-and-a-half-million-year-old bone that turns out to belong to a prehistoric camel. This surprising find challenges assumptions about camels' habitats and adaptations, showcasing their evolution from snow monsters to desert dwellers. The journey includes humor and engaging anecdotes about these remarkable animals, revealing how they've thrived in extreme climates. Plus, imagine ancient seals walking on land in sneakers—nature was a lot weirder than we thought!
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Natalia's Arctic Camel Discovery
- Paleobiologist Natalia Rybczynski discovered a three-million-year-old bone shard in the Arctic that was surprisingly from a camel.
- She pieced together 30 fragments, revealing a massive Arctic animal rather than expected plant fossils.
Camel Origins and Adaptations
- Camels actually originated in North America and roamed it for about 40 million years before migrating to deserts.
- The classic camel adaptations like humps and eyelashes likely evolved for snowy Arctic conditions, not deserts.
Camels in Snow: Meet Peanut
- Lulu Miller visited a camel named Peanut in snowy Wisconsin who joyfully plays in the snow.
- Peanut's features like eyelashes, tough lips, large feet, and humps work well for snow, supporting Natalia's theory.