Pleistocene camels from Algeria to Syria

The paleontology of the genus Camelus is poorly known. The fossil species Camelus thomasi Pomel 1893 was described in Tighennif, Algeria (late Early Pleistocene), but has since been widely reported in Northern Africa and in the Middle East. However, the type material from this locality has never been studied in detail. Another locality rich in camelid fossils awaiting description is the Nadaouiyeh Aïn Askar, Syria (Middle Pleistocene). Comparing the samples of the two locality, it is clear that Camelus thomasi is not present in Nadaouiyeh, nor is there in fact any reliable identification of this species outside of the Maghreb. The camel from Nadaouiyeh belongs therefore to a new species.