Giant Camel Fossil Found in Arctic Reading Answers

Dec 6, 2022

Giant Camel Fossil Found in Arctic Reading Answers is a IELTS reading topic comprises of 13 sets of questions, which the candidates are required to attempt within 20 minutes of time. The topic is divided into two segments of questions, namely, completing the summary and selecting the right words from the passage to fill in the blanks. Candidates should definitely go through the passage neatly and then should opt for the sections of completing the summary and selecting the right words from the passage to fill in the blanks. Candidates should necessarily consider IELTS Reading passage in order to recognize the synonyms, identify the keywords from the given context. IELTS Reading practice papers can help the candidates to improve their skills of reading.

Check: Get 10 Free IELTS Sample Papers
Check: Register for IELTS Coaching - Join for Free Trial Class Now

Reading Passage Questions

Camels are well known for their ability to survive the hot and dry conditions of the desert

but research suggests that they once thrived in a colder climate ...

The idea that giant camels once roamed the Arctic along with polar bears and walruses is startling. Yet this is the key implication of research published by scientists working on Canada’s Ellesmere Island. Lying deep inside the Arctic Circle, opposite Greenland’s northern coast, Ellesmere is one of the world’s coldest, bleakest spots. However, researchers have also found it was the home of a 3.5 million year old species of camel that later evolved into the creatures that now roam the Sahara and other hot spots. It seems that evolution can still throw up surprises.

However, there is more to the project than merely uncovering the camel’s unexpected evolutionary history. The researchers’ work has also demonstrated the power of a dramatic new technique for investigating the pre-historic past. It is known as collagen fingerprinting, and many researchers believe it could transform our understanding of life on Earth. ‘This is the first time that collagen has been extracted and used to identify a species from such ancient bone fragments’ said Dr Mike Buckley of Manchester University’s Institute of Biotechnology. ‘This unlocks the huge potential of collagen fingerprinting to better identify extinct species’.

Collagen is a protein that forms the connective tissue that holds bones together in an animal’s skeleton, and it was only by analysing scraps of the material, found in the bones on Ellesmere, that scientists were able to identify the remains as those of an ancient camel. Indeed it was not evident at first that the remains were actually fossils. ‘The first time I picked up a piece, I thought that it might be wood’ said expedition leader Dr Natalia Rybczynski of the Canadian Museum of Nature. ‘It was only back at the field camp that I was able to ascertain that it was not only bone, but also from a fossil mammal larger than anything we had seen so far’.

However, it was the analysis of the collagen attached to the bones that provided proof that these once belonged to the family Paracamelus, from which ' all modem camels are descended. The results show an almost identical match to the modem-day onehumped camel, the dromedary. A comparison of the chemical makeup of the collagen with the tissue from Ice Age Yukon camels revealed more than similarities - they were found to be closely related, and possibly the same species. In addition, anatomical data suggest the leg bone found on Ellesmere was one third largerthan the same bone in a modem camel indicating thatthis giant creature would likely have stood about 3.5 metres tall at the hump.The findings suggest that mineralisation worked along with cold temperatures to help preserve the proteins in the bones. ‘This specimen is spectacular and provides important clues about how such exceptional preservation may occur’ said Dr Buckley.

In the past, scientists have speculated that the camel still bears features that could have evolved to cope with harsh polar winters. Traits found in modern camels, such as their humps which serve as a fat store, would have benefited their ancestors during the deep winters when food was scarce.Other camel characteristics that would have been useful in the frozen conditions include the species’ flat feet, which support the animal on soft ground such as loose sand or in the same way that a snowshoe helps a person walk on snow.Their large eyes would also have helped them peer through low light and forage for food during the long, Arctic winter. At that time, annual average temperatures in the area was about --4 degrees C, barely below freezing but still about 18 degrees C warmer than the modern average. The camels that evolved in North America may have then migrated across Asia via a land bridge between Alaska and Russia.

The Ellesmere Island site is about 1200 kilometres further north than any previous camel find. Fossils unearthed at a location about ten kilometres away from the camel find and from rocks of approximately the same age, reveal that the landscape hosted an open forest inhabited by bears, rabbits, beavers and a pony-sized three-toed horse. The findings indicate that these animals were living, even thriving, at latitudes where few mammals can now exist.

The idea is intriguing - but it is only the start. Collagen fingerprinting is several orders of magnitude more effective at establishing links between ancient fossils and modern species compared with DNA fingerprinting, which has been used up to now. Collagen does not break down as speedily as DNA and so it can be used to study animals that are millions of years old and establish links with modern species by studying slight changes in their amino acid structure. As a result, scientists are now focussing on a wide range of species, from angelfish to zebras, to uncover links between ancient and modern animals. ‘This is going to provide some startling results’, said Dr Buckley.

Section 2:
Solution with Explanation
Questions 1-8:
Complete the summary below.
Choose NO MORE THAN ONE WORD from the passage for each answer. Write your answers in boxes 1-8 on your answer sheet.

Collagen fingerprinting

Fossil research using collagen fingerprinting shows that camels once lived on Ellesmere Island. By studying fossils, scientists have made surprising discoveries about the animal’s 1________ history. The research team took collagen which is a 2________ found in bone, from the fossil and compared it with collagen found in other fossils and modem animals. They found a near perfect 3________ between the now extinct camel and the modem one-hump camel. It also shared a number of 4________ with the Ice Age Yukon camel. Both the collagen and 5________ information demonstrated that the bone fragments belonged to a giant camel. They were approximately three times 6________ compared to the same bones in a modem day camel. The protein was able to survive for three and a half million years due to the process of 7________ which helped seal the bones. The cold climate of the region also ensured the 8________ of the collagen in the fossils.

Question 1:

Answer: evolutionary
Supporting Sentence: However, there is more to the project than merely uncovering the camel’s unexpected evolutionary history.
Keywords: Uncovering the camel’s unexpected evolutionary history
Keyword Location: Paragraph 2, line 1
Explanation: The beginning sentence of paragraph 2 implies that the researchers are able to learn many interesting and unexpected evolutionary things about enormous camels due to collagen fingerprinting.

Question 2:

Answer: protein
Supporting Sentence: Collagen is a protein…
Keywords: Protein
Keyword Location: Paragraph 3, line 1
Explanation: The first line of paragraph 3 suggests that an ancient and modern camel both contained collagen, a sort of protein that holds bones in animals.

Question 3:

Answer: match
Supporting Sentence: The results show an almost identical match to the modem-day onehumped camel, the dromedary.
Keywords: Almost identical match to the modem-day onehumped camel
Keyword Location: Paragraph 4, line 2
Explanation: Line 2 of paragraph 4 explains that the dromedary, a modern one-humped camel, appears to be virtually a perfect match in the results, as per collagens found on the fossil.

Question 4:

Answer: similarities
Supporting Sentence: A comparison of the chemical makeup of the collagen with the tissue from Ice Age Yukon camels revealed more than similarities - they were found to be closely related, and possibly the same species.
Keywords: Ice Age Yukon camels revealed more than similarities
Keyword Location: Paragraph 4, line 3
Explanation: Line 3 of paragraph 4 implies that when the collagen's chemical composition was compared to that of Ice Age Yukon camel tissue, it turned up that the two were not only chemically comparable but also likely members of the same species.

Question 5:

Answer: anatomical
Supporting Sentence: In addition, anatomical data suggest the leg bone found on Ellesmere was one-third larger than the same bone in a modem camel indicating that this giant creature would likely have stood about 3.5 meters tall at the hump.
Keywords: Anatomical data suggest
Keyword Location: Paragraph 4, line 4
Explanation: Line fourth of pargraph 4 states that according to anatomical evidence, Ellesmere's leg bone was one-third larger than a modern camel's equivalent, indicating that the enormous animal probably stood about 3.5 metres tall at the hump.

Question 6:

Answer: larger
Supporting Sentence: In addition, anatomical data suggest the leg bone found on Ellesmere was one-third larger than the same bone in a modem camel indicating that this giant creature would likely have stood about 3.5 meters tall at the hump.
Keywords: The leg bone found on Ellesmere was one-third larger than the same bone in a modem camel
Keyword Location: Paragraph 4, line 4
Explanation: Line 4 of paragraph 4 suggesting to us that the giant camels were found to have been nearly three times bigger than the camels we see today after the fossil was studied.

Question 7:

Answer: mineralisation
Supporting Sentence: The findings suggest that mineralisation worked along with cold temperatures to help preserve the proteins in the bones.
Keywords: The leg bone found on Ellesmere was one-third larger than the same bone in a modem camel
Keyword Location: Paragraph 4, line 5
Explanation: Lines 5 of paragraph 4 suggests that according to the research, the bones' proteins were preserved through mineralization and freezing temperatures.

Question 8:

Answer: preservation
Supporting Sentence: This specimen is spectacular and provides important clues about how such exceptional preservation may occur’ said Dr Buckley.
Keywords: Such exceptional preservation may occur
Keyword Location: Paragraph 4, line 6
Explanation: According to Dr. Buckley in line 6 of paragraph 4, this specimen is amazing and offers vital hints about how such extraordinary preservation might happen.

Questions 9-13:
Complete the notes below. Write TWO WORDS OR A NUMBER ONLY for each answer. Write your answers in boxes 9-12 on your answer sheet.

Question

Question 9:

Answer: 3.5 metres
Supporting Sentence: In addition, anatomical data suggest the leg bone found on Ellesmere was one-third larger than the same bone in a modem camel indicating that this giant creature would likely have stood about 3.5 meters tall at the hump.
Keywords: Indicating that this giant creature would likely have stood about 3.5 meters tall at the hump.
Keyword Location: Paragraph 4, line 4
Explanation: Line 4 of paragraph 4 states that according to anatomical data, the leg bone discovered on Ellesmere was one-third larger than the same bone in a modern camel, meaning that this enormous animal would have stood roughly 3.5 metres tall at the hump.

Question 10:

Answer: fat store
Supporting Sentence: Traits found in modern camels, such as their humps which serve as a fat store, would have benefited their ancestors during the deep winters when food was scarce.
Keywords: Such as their humps which serve as a fat store
Keyword Location: Paragraph 5, line 2
Explanation: As per line 2 of paragraph 5, the modern camels have characteristics that would have helped their ancestors survive the harsh winters when food was in short supply. One of these traits is their humps, which are used as fat stores.

Question 11:

Answer: low light
Supporting Sentence: Their large eyes would also have helped them peer through low light and forage for food during the long, Arctic winter.
Keywords: Helped them peer through low light and forage for food
Keyword Location: Paragraph 5, line 4
Explanation: According to line 4 of paragraph 5, the giant camels would have been able to scavenge for food during the lengthy Arctic winter because of their enormous eyes, which would have also helped them see in dim conditions.

Question 12:

Answer: soft
Supporting Sentence: Other camel characteristics that would have been useful in the frozen conditions include the species’ flat feet, which support the animal on soft ground such as loose sand or in the same way that a snowshoe helps a person walk on snow.
Keywords: The species’ flat feet, which support the animal on soft ground
Keyword Location: Paragraph 5, line 3
Explanation: Line 3 of paragraph 5 implies that the camel's flat feet, which support the animal on soft surfaces like loose sand or in the same way that snowshoes aid a person in walking on snow, are another trait that would have been useful in the freezing conditions.

Question 13:

Answer: loose sand
Supporting Sentence: Other camel characteristics that would have been useful in the frozen conditions include the species’ flat feet, which support the animal on soft ground such as loose sand or in the same way that a snowshoe helps a person walk on snow.
Keywords: the species’ flat feet, which support the animal on soft ground such as loose sand
Keyword Location: Paragraph 5, line 3
Explanation: Line 3 of paragraph 5 enhances that the flat feet of giant camels allowed them to move more easily over sand that was loose and other soft ground.

Read more IELTS Reading Samples