Paleollamas

Paleo-llama

Palaeollama is an extinct North and South American camel.

Palaeolama mirifica, the “stout-legged llama”, is known from southern California and the southeastern U. S., with the highest concentration of fossil specimens found in Florida. Other fossil occurrences have been discovered in Mexico, Central America and South America . They weighed in at about 440-450 lb. and grazed on the lush grasslands that covered much of florida then.

Camelids first appeared in North America during the Middle Eocene and were present for about 40 million years. Llamas became extinct in North America at the end of the Pleistocene, but continue to survive in South America until the present day.

 

In recent years llama and alpaca farms have been popping up in Florida, perhaps filling a niche left behind by their long extinct ancestors.