Knobloch's Camel
Camelus knobblochi
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Chordata
Mammalia
Artiodactyla
Camelidae
Camelus knobblochi
A giant Pleistocene camel that towered over modern camels. Reaching heights of 2.5 m and weighing over a tonne, this camel grazed steppe landscapes before climate change and humans drove it to extinction.
Description
Known from Middle‑ to Late‑Pleistocene deposits across eastern Europe and central Asia, Camelus knobblochi measured about 3.5 m long, stood 2.5 m at the shoulder and weighed 700–1 200 kg. It likely had two humps and a shaggy coat adapted to cool steppe climates. Fossil distributions suggest it occupied forest‑steppe and grassland environments and browsed grasses and shrubs. Climate aridisation during the Late Pleistocene favoured its smaller cousin, the wild Bactrian camel, which replaced it in more arid habitats. Recent research indicates that Camelus knobblochi persisted in Mongolia until about 27 000 years ago, much later than previously thought, and coexisted with archaic humans and the wild Bactrian camel.
Quick Facts
Max Mass
Shoulder Height
Standing Height
Length
Diet
Trophic Level
1000
2.3
3.45
3.6
kg
m
m
m
Mixed Feeder
Herbivores – Grazers
Hunt History
Evidence from Tsagaan Agui Cave in Mongolia shows that archaic humans butchered Camelus knobblochi. A metacarpal bone dated between 59 000 and 44 000 years ago bears both human butchery marks and hyena gnawing. The size of these camels would have provided enormous yields of meat and fat, but hunting such large animals was risky; humans may have scavenged carcasses or opportunistically hunted weakened individuals. As the climate became drier and competitors such as the wild Bactrian camel thrived, the giant camel disappeared.
1. Tsagaan Agui Cave, Mongolia (59 000–44 000 BP) – a metacarpal bone shows cut marks from stone tools and hyena gnawing, demonstrating human butchery of Camelus knobblochi.
2. Mongolian steppe deposits (~27 000 BP) – radiocarbon dating indicates that C. knobblochi persisted until around 27 000 years ago, coexisting with archaic humans and wild Bactrian camels.
3. Eastern European fossil sites – large camel bones from Pleistocene sites in Russia and the Trans‑Baikal region (documented in palaeontological collections) provide context for the species’ broad range and eventual replacement by C. ferus.
Time & Range
Extinction Status
Globally Extinct
Extinction Date
Temporal Range
Region
20000
BP
Late Pleistocene
Europe
Wiki Link
Fat Analysis
Fatness Profile:
Medium
Fat %
5
Est. Renderable Fat
50
kg
Targeted Organs
Hump/backfat, marrow
Adipose Depots
Hump/backfat (when present), visceral; marrow
Preferred Cuts
Hump/backfat
Hunt Difficulty (x/5)
4