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78-562: Tombs excavated and surveyed at Shimal include both the round Umm Al Nar type and the barrow tombs typical of the Wadi Suq era. Grave goods found at Shimal have included large finds of pottery as well as beads and objects providing a link to the Harappan Indus Valley Civilisation. The burial grounds at Shimal consist of at least 250 graves, some of which have been found to encompass over 300 burials. Many of

156-403: A dominant male. They feed on foliage and desert vegetation; several adaptations, such as the ability to tolerate losing more than 30% of its total water content, allow it to thrive in its desert habitat. Mating occurs annually and peaks in the rainy season; females bear a single calf after a gestation of 15 months. The dromedary has not occurred naturally in the wild for nearly 2,000 years. It

234-462: A first generation female hybrid and a male Bactrian camel can also produce a hybrid. Hybrids from other combinations tend to be bad-tempered or runts . The extinct Protylopus , which occurred in North America during the upper Eocene , is the oldest and the smallest-known camel. During the transition from Pliocene to Pleistocene , several mammals faced extinction. This period marked

312-414: A rete mirabile , a complex of arteries and veins lying very close to each other which uses countercurrent blood flow to cool blood flowing to the brain. This effectively controls the temperature of the brain. The hump stores up to 80 lb (36 kg) of fat, which the camel can break down into energy to meet its needs when resources are scarce; the hump also helps dissipate body heat. When this tissue

390-492: A subspecies of the Bactrian camel) – and Lamini , which consists of the alpaca ( Vicugna pacos ), the guanaco ( Lama guanicoe ), the llama ( L. glama ) and the vicuña ( V. vicugna ). The study showed the two tribes had diverged 25 million years ago (early Miocene ), earlier than previously estimated from North American fossils. The dromedary and the Bactrian camel often interbreed to produce fertile offspring. Where

468-509: A capacity of 858 cm (52.4 cu in), and can produce urine with high chloride concentrations. Like the horse, the dromedary has no gall bladder . The grayish violet, crescent-like spleen weighs less than 500 g (18 oz). The triangular, four-chambered liver weighs 6.5 kg (14 lb); its dimensions are 60 cm × 42 cm × 18 cm (24 in × 17 in × 7 in). The ovaries are reddish, circular and flattened. They are enclosed in

546-407: A conical bursa and have the dimensions 4 cm × 2.5 cm × 0.5 cm (1.6 in × 0.98 in × 0.20 in) during anestrus . The oviducts are 25–28 cm (9.8–11.0 in) long. The uterus is bicornuate . The vagina is 3–3.5 cm (1.2–1.4 in) long and has well-developed Bartholin's glands . The vulva is 3–5 cm (1.2–2.0 in) deep and has

624-452: A disorder. Rutting males may develop nausea. The dromedary is prone to trypanosomiasis , a disease caused by a parasite transmitted by the tsetse fly . The main symptoms are recurring fever, anaemia and weakness; the disease is typically fatal for the camel. Brucellosis is another prominent malady. In an observational study, the seroprevalence of this disease was generally low (2 to 5%) in nomadic or moderately free dromedaries, but it

702-648: A good sense of smell. The male has a soft palate ( dulaa in Arabic) nearly 18 cm (7.1 in) long, which he inflates to produce a deep pink sac. The palate, which is often mistaken for the tongue, dangles from one side of the mouth and is used to attract females during the mating season. The coat is generally brown but can range from black to nearly white. Leese reported piebald dromedaries in Kordofan and Darfur in Sudan. Piebald coloration in some camels

780-866: A gradual shift in culture. The Wadi Suq people not only domesticated camels , but there is evidence they also planted crops of wheat, barley and dates. A gradual shift away from coastal to inland settlements took place through the period. Some of the most obvious evidence of the change in human habits and society following the Umm Al Nar period can be found in the distinctive burials of the Wadi Suq people, notably in Shimal in Ras Al Khaimah where over 250 burial sites are located. In some cases, cut stone from Umm Al Nar burials has been used to build Wadi Suq graves. Wadi Suq burials are long chambers entered from

858-468: A long dry season and a short wet season. They are sensitive to cold and humidity, though some breeds can thrive in humid conditions. The dromedary was first domesticated in the southern Arabian Peninsula around 4000–3000 BC. In the ninth or tenth century BC, the dromedary became popular in the Near East. The Persian invasion of Egypt under Cambyses in 525 BC introduced domesticated camels to

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936-412: A long rectangular structure located on a plateau overlooking the plain and settlement of Kush and, latterly, Julfar . It has been dated to the 11th century, contemporaneous with the construction of the wall and the growth of Julfar as an important port, with Kush as its administrative centre. In the 13th century, Kush was abandoned as the coastal area of Al Mataf flowered when Julfar became a tributary of

1014-763: A significant feral population occurs in Australia. Products of the dromedary, including its meat and milk, support several North African tribes; it is also commonly used for riding and as a pack animal. The common name "dromedary" comes from the Old French dromedaire or the Late Latin dromedarius . These originated from the Greek word dromas , δρομάς (ο, η) ( GEN (γενική) dromados , δρομάδος ), meaning "running" or "runner", used in Greek in

1092-459: A single hump (compared with two on the Bactrian camel and wild Bactrian camel ), and long hairs on the throat, shoulders and hump. The coat is generally a shade of brown. The hump, 20 cm ( 7 + 7 ⁄ 8  in) tall or more, is made of fat bound together by fibrous tissue . Dromedaries are mainly active during daylight hours. They form herds of about 20 individuals, which are led by

1170-449: A small clitoris . The placenta is diffuse and epitheliochorial , with a crescent-like chorion . The penis is covered by a triangular penile sheath that opens backwards; it is about 60 cm (24 in) long. The scrotum is located high in the perineum with the testicles in separate sacs. Testicles are 7–10 cm (2.8–3.9 in) long, 4.5 cm (1.8 in) deep and 5 cm (2.0 in) wide. The right testicle

1248-440: Is 1.1.3.3 3.1.2.3 , and 1.1.3 3.1.2 for milk dentition. In the juvenile, the lower first molars develop by 12 to 15 months and the permanent lower incisors appear at 4.5 to 6.5 years of age. All teeth are in use by 8 years. The lenses of the eyes contain crystallin , which constitutes 8 to 13% of the protein present there. The skin is black; the epidermis is 0.038–0.064 mm (0.0015–0.0025 in) thick and

1326-633: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Wadi Suq Culture The Wadi Suq culture defines human settlement in the United Arab Emirates and Oman in the period from 2,000 to 1,300 BCE. It takes its name from a wadi , or seasonal watercourse, west of Sohar in Oman and follows on from the Umm Al Nar culture . Although archaeologists have traditionally tended to view the differences in human settlements and burials between

1404-539: Is a large camel , of the genus Camelus , with one hump on its back. It is the tallest of the three species of camel; adult males stand 1.8–2.4 m (5 ft 11 in – 7 ft 10 in) at the shoulder, while females are 1.7–1.9 m (5 ft 7 in – 6 ft 3 in) tall. Males typically weigh between 400 and 690 kg (880 and 1,520 lb), and females weigh between 300 and 540 kg (660 and 1,190 lb). The species' distinctive features include its long, curved neck, narrow chest,

1482-631: Is also when rain arrives. The nymphs infest the host mostly in January, then the adults May to September. In a study in Egypt, H. dromedarii was dominant in dromedaries, comprising 95.6% of the adult ticks isolated from the camels. In Israel, the number of ticks per camel ranged from 20 to 105. Nine camels in the date palm plantations in Arava Valley were injected with ivermectin , which is not effective against Hyalomma tick infestations. Larvae of

1560-454: Is associated with an arrector pilli muscle, a hair follicle , a ring of sebaceous glands and a sweat gland . Females have cone-shaped, four-chambered mammary glands that are 2.4 cm (0.94 in) long with a base diameter of 1.5 cm (0.59 in). These glands can produce milk with up to 90% water content even if the mother is at risk of dehydration. The heart weighs around 5 kg (11 lb); it has two ventricles with

1638-439: Is during spring; the spring months. Mating occurs once a year, and peaks in the rainy season. The mating season lasts three to five months, but may last a year for older animals. During the reproductive season, males splash their urine on their tails and nether regions. To attract females they extrude their soft palate – a trait unique to the dromedary. As the male gurgles, copious quantities of saliva turns to foam and covers

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1716-411: Is metabolized, through fat metabolization , it releases energy while causing water to evaporate from the lungs during respiration (as oxygen is required for the metabolic process): overall, there is a net decrease in water. If the hump is small, the animal can show signs of starvation. In a 2005 study, the mean volume of adipose tissues (in the external part of the hump that have cells to store lipids)

1794-455: Is often smaller than the left. The typical mass of either testicle is less than 140 g (0.31 lb); during the rut the mass increases from 165 to 253 g (0.364 to 0.558 lb). The Cowper's gland is white, almond-shaped and lacks seminal vesicles ; the prostate gland is dark yellow, disc-shaped and divided into two lobes. The camel epididymis interstitium revealed several blood vessels harboring special regulatory devices such as

1872-655: Is produced during the early period of lactation. The lactation period can vary between nine and eighteen months. Dromedaries are induced ovulators . Oestrus may be cued by the nutritional status of the camel and the length of day. If mating does not occur, the follicle , which grows during oestrus, usually regresses within a few days. In one study, 35 complete oestrous cycles were observed in five nonpregnant females over 15 months. The cycles were about 28 days long; follicles matured in six days, maintained their size for 13 days, and returned to their original size in eight days. In another study, ovulation could be best induced when

1950-520: Is related to the dromedary's unique mechanism of food and water storage. In case of starvation, they can even eat fish and bones, and drink brackish and salty water. The hair is longer on the throat, hump and shoulders. Though the padded hooves effectively support the camel's weight on the ground, they are not suitable for walking on slippery and muddy surfaces. Camels have a slow growth rate and reach sexual maturity slower than sheep or goat. The age of sexual maturity varies geographically and depends on

2028-530: Is thought to be caused by the KIT allele of the KIT gene , though there is likely at least one other mutation that also causes white spotting. The hair is long and concentrated on the throat, shoulders and the hump. The large eyes are protected by prominent supraorbital ridges ; the ears are small and rounded. The hump is at least 20 cm (7.9 in) high. The dromedary has long, powerful legs with two toes on each foot. The feet resemble flat, leathery pads. Like

2106-510: Is thought to have taken some 200 years and more, with finds at the important Wadi Suq site of Tell Abraq in modern Umm Al Quwain showing evidence of the continuity of Umm Al Nar burials. Evidence of increased mobility among the population points to a gradual change in human habits rather than sudden change and important Wadi Suq era sites such as Tell Abraq, Ed Dur , Seih Al Harf , Shimal and Kalba show an increasing sophistication in copper and bronze ware as well as trade links both east to

2184-623: Is white and viscous, with a pH of around 7.8. A single calf is born after a gestation period of 15 months. Calves move freely by the end of their first day. Nursing and maternal care continue for one to two years. In a study to find whether young could exist on milk substitutes, two male, month-old camels were separated from their mothers and were fed on milk substitutes prepared commercially for lambs, and they grew to normal weights for male calves after 30 days. Lactational yield can vary with species, breed, individual, region, diet, management conditions and lactating stage. The largest quantity of milk

2262-531: The Stone , Bronze , Iron and Hellenistic ages of human settlement in the UAE. The widespread area of burials exhibits a number of important Wadi Suq tombs, including a unique clover-leaf shaped burial chamber, but has no evidence of Umm Al Nar era burials, although there are burials representing later eras. The clover-shaped Wadi Suq period tomb at Jebel Buhais, BHS 66 stands as a unique piece of funerary architecture in

2340-457: The dermis is 2.2–4.7 mm (0.087–0.185 in) thick. The hump is composed of fat bound together by fibrous tissue . There are no glands on the face; males have glands that appear to be modified apocrine sweat glands that secrete pungent, coffee-coloured fluid during the rut , located on either side of the neck midline. The glands generally grow heavier during the rut, and range from 20 to 115 g (0.71 to 4.06 oz). Each cover hair

2418-405: The genus Camelus with the Bactrian camel ( C. bactrianus ) and the wild Bactrian camel ( C. ferus ). The dromedary belongs to the family Camelidae . The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle (4th century BC) was the first to describe the species of Camelus . He named two species in his History of Animals ; the one-humped Arabian camel and the two-humped Bactrian camel. The dromedary

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2496-411: The giraffe , dromedaries move both legs on one side of the body at the same time. Compared with the Bactrian camel, the dromedary has a lighter build, longer limbs, shorter hairs, a harder palate and an insignificant or absent ethmoidal fissure . Unlike the camelids of the genus Lama , the dromedary has a hump, and in comparison has a longer tail, smaller ears, squarer feet, and a greater height at

2574-523: The rinderpest and ovine rinderpest viruses. In 2013, a seroepidemiological study (a study investigating the patterns, causes and effects of a disease on a specific population on the basis of serologic tests) in Egypt was the first to show the dromedary might be a host for the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). A 2013–14 study of dromedaries in Saudi Arabia concluded

2652-433: The 17th and 19th centuries; some were imported to the western United States in the 1850s and some to Namibia in the early 1900s, but presently they exist in small numbers or are absent in these areas. In 1840, about six camels were shipped from Tenerife to Adelaide , but only one survived the journey to arrive on 12 October that year. The animal, a male called Harry, was owned by the explorer John Ainsworth Horrocks . Harry

2730-704: The Americas and Australia. Dromedaries were introduced into Spain in 1020 AD and to Sicily in 1059 AD. Camels were exported to the Canary Islands in 1405 during the European colonisation of the area, and are still extant there, especially in Lanzarote and to the south of Fuerteventura . Attempts to introduce dromedaries into the Caribbean , Colombia, Peru, Bolivia and Brazil were made between

2808-408: The Bactrian camel. Camel hybridization began in the first millennium BC. For about a thousand years, Bactrian camels and dromedaries have been successfully bred in regions where they are sympatric to form hybrids with either a long, slightly lopsided hump or two humps – one small and one large. These hybrids are larger and stronger than their parents – they can bear greater loads. A cross between

2886-485: The Indus Valley and west to Mesopotamia. Wadi Suq era pottery is also seen as more refined and distinctive, with finds of painted ware common, as well as soft-stone vessels. Studies of human remains from the period do point to a process of aridification taking place over the centuries contiguous between the Umm Al Nar and Wadi Suq periods, but do not support a sudden or cataclysmic movement or societal change rather

2964-616: The Kingdom of Hormuz. The town wall continued to be an important fortification until its collapse in the mid-18th century, while Sheba's Palace was relegated to the role of refuge fortification (a role also performed by the fort of Dhayah to the North of Shimal, where the final surrender of the Qawasim to the British took place in 1819). This United Arab Emirates location article

3042-481: The Middle East allowed camels to be imported en masse . These camels were well-suited to long desert journeys and could carry a great deal of cargo, allowing substantial trans-Saharan trade for the first time. In Libya, dromedaries were used for transport and their milk and meat constituted the local diet. Dromedaries were also shipped from south-western Asia to Spain, Italy, Turkey, France, Canary Islands ,

3120-421: The UAE. Wadi Suq era weaponry shows a marked increase in sophistication, with an explosion in metallurgy taking place in the region. A number of tombs have been found with hundreds of weapons and other metal artefacts and long swords, bows and arrows became the predominant weapons. Long swords found at Qattara , Qidfa , Qusais and Bidaa bint Saud are double-edged and hilted. Light throwing spears also marked

3198-402: The Umm Al Nar and Wadi Suq periods as the result of major external disruption (climate change, the collapse of trade or threat of war), contemporary opinion has moved towards a gradual change in human society which is centred around more sophisticated approaches to animal husbandry as well as changes in the surrounding trade and social environments. The transition between Umm Al Nar and Wadi Suq

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3276-515: The Wadi Suq people is displayed by finds of jewellery, including gold and electrum plaques depicting back to back animals. Ongoing links with both Dilmun and the Indus Valley have been demonstrated. Dromedary The dromedary ( Camelus dromedarius UK : / ˈ d r ʌ m ɪ d ə r i , ˈ d r ɒ m -/ or US : /- ˌ d ɛ r i / ; ), also known as the dromedary camel , Arabian camel , or one-humped camel ,

3354-409: The animal source of MERS-CoV. Fleas and ticks are common causes of physical irritation. Hyalomma dromedarii is especially adapted to arid conditions, changing its moulting process to complete more or all of its life cycle on a single host if stressed, and having an unusually wide host range. The larvae are not well understood but their questing phase is assumed to occur during the winter, which

3432-507: The area. The Persian camels were not well-suited to trading or travel over the Sahara; journeys across the desert were made on chariots pulled by horses. The dromedary was introduced into Egypt from south-western Asia (Arabia and Persia). The popularity of dromedaries increased after the Islamic conquest of North Africa . While the invasion was accomplished largely on horseback, new links to

3510-475: The camel nasal fly Cephalopsis titillator can cause possibly fatal brain compression and nervous disorders . Illnesses that can affect dromedary productivity are pyogenic diseases and wound infections caused by Corynebacterium and Streptococcus , pulmonary disorders caused by Pasteurella such as hemorrhagic septicemia and Rickettsia species, camelpox , anthrax , and cutaneous necrosis caused by Streptothrix and deficiency of salt in

3588-587: The combination δρομάς κάμηλος ( dromas kamelos ), literally "running camel", to refer to the dromedary. The first recorded use in English of the name "dromedary" occurred in the 14th century. The dromedary possibly originated in Arabia or Somalia and is therefore sometimes referred to as the Arabian or East African camel. The word "camel" generally refers either to the dromedary or the congeneric Bactrian ;

3666-497: The converse is also true to a great extent. He said this substitution could have taken place because of the heavy dependence on the milk, meat and wool of the dromedary by Syrian and Arabian nomads, while the Asiatic people domesticated the Bactrian camel but did not have to depend upon its products. The dromedary is the tallest of the three camel species. Adult males range in height between 1.8 and 2.4 m (5.9 and 7.9 ft) at

3744-503: The diet. The dromedary is diurnal (active mainly during daylight); free-ranging herds feed and roam throughout the day, though they rest during the hottest hours around noon. The night is mainly spent resting. Dromedaries form cohesive groups of about 20 individuals, which consist of several females led by a dominant male. Females may also lead in turns. Some males either form bachelor groups or roam alone. Herds may congregate to form associations of hundreds of camels during migrations at

3822-503: The double row of eyelashes prevent sand and dust from entering the eyes during strong windstorms, and shield them from the sun's glare. The dromedary is able to close its nostrils voluntarily; this assists in water conservation. The dromedary can conserve water by reducing perspiration by fluctuating the body temperature throughout the day from 31 to 41.7 °C (87.8 to 107.1 °F). The kidneys are specialized to minimize water loss through excretion. Groups of camels avoid excess heat from

3900-515: The dromedary include snapping at others without biting them and showing displeasure by stamping their feet. They are generally non-aggressive, with the exception of rutting males. They appear to remember their homes; females, in particular, remember the places they first gave birth or suckled their offspring. Males become aggressive in the mating season, and sometimes wrestle. A 1980 study showed androgen levels in males influences their behavior. Between January and April when these levels are high during

3978-465: The environment by pressing against each other. The dromedary can tolerate greater than 30% water loss, which is generally impossible for other mammals. In temperatures between 30 and 40 °C (86 and 104 °F), it needs water every 10 to 15 days. In the hottest temperatures, the dromedary takes water every four to seven days. This camel has a quick rate of rehydration and can drink at 10–20 L (2.2–4.4 imp gal) per minute. The dromedary has

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4056-411: The female to sit, then grasps her with his forelegs. Camelmen often aid the male insert his penis into the female's vulva. The male dromedary's ability to penetrate the female on his own is disputed, though feral populations in Australia reproduce naturally. Copulation takes from 7 to 35 minutes, averaging 11 to 15 minutes. Normally, three to four ejaculations occur. The semen of a Bikaneri dromedary

4134-471: The follicle reaches a size of 0.9–1.9 cm (0.35–0.75 in). In another study, pregnancy in females could be recognized as early as 40 to 45 days of gestation by the swelling of the left uterine horn , where 99.5% of pregnancies were located. Its range included hot, arid regions of northern Africa, Ethiopia, the Near East , and western and central Asia. The dromedary typically thrives in areas with

4212-454: The food and chew each bite 40 to 50 times. Its long eyelashes, eyebrows, lockable nostrils, caudal opening of the prepuce and a relatively small vulva help the camel avoid injuries, especially while feeding. They graze for 8–12 hours per day and ruminate for an equal amount of time. The dromedary is specially adapted to its desert habitat; these adaptations are aimed at conserving water and regulating body temperature. The bushy eyebrows and

4290-415: The individual, as does the reproductive period. Both sexes might mature by three to five years of age, though successful breeding could take longer. Camels are described as atypical seasonal breeders; they exhibit spermatogenesis throughout the whole year with a reduction in spermatogenesis during the nonbreeding season compared to that in the breeding season (Zayed et al., 1995). The breeding season in Egypt

4368-457: The mouth. Males threaten each other for dominance over the female by trying to stand taller than the other, making low noises and a series of head movements including lowering, lifting and bending their necks backward. Males try to defeat other males by biting the opponent's legs and taking the head between his jaws. Copulation begins with foreplay; the male smells the female's genitalia and often bites her there or around her hump. The male forces

4446-599: The period c. 2000–1300 BC in the UAE. Shimal Fort, known locally as 'Sheba's Palace', is an Islamic era fortification connected with the town wall of nearby Julfar, the Islamic era trading port and settlement. It was thought to have been the seat of the Ruler of Julfar. The Wadi Sur town wall, running some 7km from the lagoon to the south of present-day Ras Al Khaimah to the mountains, was a 4–5m high defensive structure with watchtowers placed every 150 metres. The fort consists of

4524-427: The ranges of the species overlap, such as in northern Punjab, Persia, and Afghanistan, the phenotypic differences between them tend to decrease as a result of extensive crossbreeding. The fertility of their hybrid has given rise to speculation that the dromedary and the Bactrian camel should be merged into a single species with two varieties. However, a 1994 analysis of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene showed

4602-469: The riverine type – slow animals that can bear heavy burdens; and those intermediate between these two types. In 2007, Peng Cui of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and colleagues carried out a phylogenetic study of the evolutionary relationships between the two tribes of Camelidae; Camelini – consisting of the three Camelus species (the study considered the wild Bactrian camel as

4680-534: The rut, they become difficult to manage, blow out the palate from the mouth, vocalize and throw urine over their backs. Camels scratch parts of their bodies with their legs or with their lower incisors. They may also rub against tree bark and roll in the sand. Free-ranging dromedaries face large predators typical of their regional distribution, which includes wolves , lions and tigers . The dromedary's diet consists mostly of foliage, dry grasses and desert vegetation – mostly thorny plants. A study said

4758-555: The second and third sacral vertebra . The fibula is reduced to a malleolar bone . The dromedary is a digitigrade animal; it walks on its toes, which are known as digits . It lacks the second and fifth digits. The front feet are 19 cm (7.5 in) wide and 18 cm (7.1 in) long; they are larger than the hind feet, which measure 17 cm (6.7 in) wide and 16 cm (6.3 in) long. The dromedary has 22 milk teeth , which are eventually replaced by 34 permanent teeth . The dental formula for permanent dentition

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4836-478: The shoulder. The dromedary has four teats instead of the two in the Lama species. The cranium of the dromedary consists of a postorbital bar , a tympanic bulla filled with spongiosa , a well-defined sagittal crest , a long facial part and an indented nasal bone . Typically, there are eight sternal and four non-sternal pairs of ribs . The spinal cord is nearly 214 cm (84 in) long; it terminates in

4914-413: The shoulder; females range between 1.7 and 1.9 m (5.6 and 6.2 ft). Males typically weigh between 400 and 690 kg (880 and 1,520 lb); females range between 300 and 540 kg (660 and 1,190 lb). The distinctive features are its long, curved neck, narrow chest and single hump (the Bactrian camel has two), thick, double-layered eyelashes and bushy eyebrows. They have sharp vision and

4992-413: The side and many have been found to have been used for subsequent burials. Although Shimal has the most extensive Wadi Suq burials, grave sites are to be found throughout the UAE and Oman and vary from simple barrows to sophisticated structures. The notable Jebel Buhais burial ground, the oldest radiometrically dated burial site in the UAE, is an extensive necropolis, consisting of burial sites spanning

5070-404: The species display 10.3% divergence in their sequences . The dromedary has 74 diploid chromosomes, the same as other camelids. The autosomes consist of five pairs of small to medium-sized metacentrics and submetacentrics . The X chromosome is the largest in the metacentric and submetacentric group. There are 31 pairs of acrocentrics . The dromedary's karyotype is similar to that of

5148-427: The spiral arteries, spiral veins, and throttle arterioles. The dromedary generally suffers from fewer diseases than other domestic livestock such as goats and cattle. Temperature fluctuations occur throughout the day in a healthy dromedary – the temperature falls to its minimum at dawn, rises until sunset and falls during the night. Nervous camels may vomit if they are carelessly handled; this does not always indicate

5226-605: The successful radiation of the Camelus species, which migrated over the Bering Strait and dispersed widely into Asia, eastern Europe and Africa. By the Pleistocene, ancestors of the dromedary occurred in the Middle East and northern Africa. The modern dromedary probably evolved in the hotter, arid regions of western Asia from the Bactrian camel, which in turn was closely related to the earliest Old World camels. It

5304-413: The time of natural disasters. The males of the herd prevent female members from interacting with bachelor males by standing or walking between them and sometimes driving the bachelor males away. In Australia, short-term home ranges of feral dromedaries cover 50 to 150 km (19 to 58 sq mi); annual home ranges can spread over several thousand square kilometres. Special behavioral features of

5382-440: The tip curving to the left. The pulse rate is 50 beats per minute. The dromedary is the only mammal with oval red blood corpuscles , which facilitates blood flow during dehydration. The pH of the blood varies from 7.1 to 7.6 (slightly alkaline). The individual's state of hydration and sex and the time of year can influence blood values . The lungs lack lobes. A dehydrated camel has a lower breathing rate . Each kidney has

5460-524: The tombs were re-used. The nearby site of Seih Al Harf mirrors many of the finds at Shimal. The excavations at Shimal, principally those of the mid-1980s by a team from the University of Göttingen in Germany, are significant as they provided early evidence of the Wadi Suq period, including finds of pottery, soft-stone vessels, bronze and copper weapons and beads which came to be regarded as typical of

5538-1027: The typical diet of the dromedary is dwarf shrubs (47.5%), trees (29.9%), grasses (11.2%), other herbs (0.2%) and vines (11%). The dromedary is primarily a browser; forbs and shrubs comprise 70% of its diet in summer and 90% of its diet in winter. The dromedary may also graze on tall, young, succulent grasses. In the Sahara, 332 plant species have been recorded as food plants of the dromedary. These include Aristida pungens , Acacia tortilis , Panicum turgidum , Launaea arborescens and Balanites aegyptiaca . The dromedary eats Acacia , Atriplex and Salsola when they are available. Feral dromedaries in Australia prefer Trichodesma zeylanicum and Euphorbia tannensis . In India, dromedaries are fed with forage plants such as Vigna aconitifolia , V. mungo , Cyamopsis tetragonolaba , Melilotus parviflora , Eruca sativa , Trifolium species and Brassica campestris . Dromedaries keep their mouths open while chewing thorny food. They use their lips to grasp

5616-415: The unusual genetic stability of MERS-CoV coupled with its high seroprevalence in the dromedary makes this camel a highly probable host for the virus. The full genome sequence of MERS-CoV from dromedaries in this study showed a 99.9% match to the genomes of human clade B MERS-CoV. Another study in Saudi Arabia showed the presence of MERS-CoV in 90% of the evaluated dromedaries and suggested that camels could be

5694-526: The weaponry of the time. Many of these weapons were cast in bronze. One grave excavated in Shimal had no fewer than 18 fine bronze arrowheads. Another explosive growth industry in the Wadi Suq era was the production of soft-stone vessels. While in the preceding Umm Al Nar era these were distinctively decorated with dotted circles, they now gained incised patterns of lines and are found in profusion. The relative wealth and growing metallurgical sophistication of

5772-518: The word came into English via Old Norman , from the Latin word camēlus , from Ancient Greek κάμηλος ( kámēlos ), ultimately from a Semitic source akin to Hebrew גמל ( gamál ) and Arabic جمل ( jamal ). Lamini (llamas) † Camelops Camelus dromedarius (dromedary) † Camelus knoblochi Camelus ferus (wild Bactrian camel) Camelus bactrianus (domestic Bactrian camel) The dromedary shares

5850-436: Was given its current binomial name Camelus dromedarius by Swedish zoologist Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 publication Systema Naturae . In 1927, British veterinarian Arnold Leese classified dromedaries by their basic habitats; the hill camels are small, muscular animals and efficient beasts of burden; the larger plains camels could be further divided into the desert type that can bear light burdens and are apt for riding, and

5928-581: Was higher (8 to 15%) in denser populations. Brucellosis is caused by different biotypes of Brucella abortus and B. melitensis . Other internal parasites include Fasciola gigantica ( trematode ), two types of cestode (tapeworm) and various nematodes (roundworms). Among external parasites, Sarcoptes species cause sarcoptic mange . In a 2000 study in Jordan , 83% of the 32 camels studied tested positive for sarcoptic mange. In another study, dromedaries were found to have natural antibodies against

6006-484: Was previously believed that this hypothesis was supported by the dromedary foetus having two humps, but modern studies have shown this to be false. A jawbone of a dromedary that dated from 8,200 BC was found in Saudi Arabia on the southern coast of the Red Sea . In 1975, Richard Bulliet of Columbia University wrote that the dromedary exists in large numbers in areas from which the Bactrian camel has disappeared;

6084-830: Was probably first domesticated in the Arabian Peninsula about 4,000 years ago, or in Somalia where there are paintings in Laas Geel that figure it from 5,000 to 9,000 years ago. In the wild, the dromedary inhabited arid regions, including the Sahara Desert . The domesticated dromedary is generally found in the semi-arid to arid regions of the Old World, mainly in Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, and

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