You may have heard people say, “A camel is a horse that’s been put together by a committee.” That saying refers, of course, to the unattractive appearance of the camel. But the student of biology and evolution knows that nothing could be farther from the truth. The fact is, the body of the camel is excellently suited to the harsh desert environment in which it evolved. Consider the following:
1) Its thick coat provides insulation against both the heat of day and the cold of night.
2) The hair inside its ears keep the sand from coming in.
3) The hump stores energy in the form of fat when food is hard to come by.
4) Its eyes have double rows of interlocking eyelashes and a thin see – through inner eyelid as protection against sun and blowing sand.
5) Its nostrils can be tightened, again to keep out blowing sand.
6) Its upper lip is split to grasp food, so the tongue won’t have to be exposed to dry air.
7) Its long legs perch it above the hot sand and also enable it to see far.
The camel is one of nature’s most marvelous feats of biological engineering.