'Alien' Ottoman War Camel Skeleton Found in Austria Perplex Scientists
The discovery of a nearly intact skeleton of a camel that lived in 17th century Austria has researchers excited.
The camel was found in a refuse pit in the town of Tulln. Researchers who discovered the skeleton could not guess what it was when they sighted it as the camel is not found in Europe. Analysis of the skeleton showed it was a hybrid, born to a two-hump Bactrian male and a one-hump dromedary female.
"Such crossbreeding was not unusual at the time. Hybrids were easier to handle, more enduring and larger than their parents. These animals were especially suited for military use," said Alfred Galik, one of the researchers who made the discovery.
The camel's shoulder bones showed stress from mounting though the knees did not show signs of arthritis, which led researchers to conclude that the camel was not a beast of burden but a war mount.
As to its whereabouts, researchers believe the animal was brought by the Ottoman army during an attack on Tulln. The camel was estimated to be 7 years old when it died. Given that the camel was an alien animal to Tulln, the inhabitants did not butcher it, researchers concluded.
