ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Megacamelus

Megacamelus is a really big camel. It's like a regular camel but much, much bigger! Just like how a grown-up is bigger than a baby.

Long, long ago, there was a time when animals like elephants, rhinoceroses, and camels were much bigger than they are now. And that's where Megacamelus comes in. It lived around 4.5 million years ago and was one of the biggest camels that ever existed.

Megacamelus could grow up to 11 feet tall, which is really, really tall! It was even taller than some giraffes. It was also really heavy, weighing about 1400 pounds. That's like 5 fat adults!

Megacamelus had a hump on its back like other camels, but it had a bigger hump. The hump was important because it stored fat and water, which helped Megacamelus survive in hot, dry places.

Just like regular camels today, Megacamelus had a big, flat foot that helped it walk on sand without sinking in. And it had a tough, leathery mouth to eat the tough plants that grow in the desert.

Unfortunately, Megacamelus went extinct, which means that none of them are alive today. But we can still learn about them by studying their fossils, which are like puzzles that scientists put together to learn more about what they looked like and how they lived.