The oldest proven ancestor from fossil is the Chamaeleo caroliquarti from approximately 26 million years ago in western Bohemia. Fossils have been found in a much wider range than chameleons inhabit today. The fossil record is sparse, but the history of chameleons may be more than 60 million years old. Chameleons are believed to have originated in Africa or Madagascar. Based on the known fossil record, chameleons were distributed in Africa but also in parts of the world where they are not found today, such as China, Bavaria, and western Bohemia. Chameleons eventually disappeared from the latter three regions, perhaps as a consequence of changing climatic conditions that favored cooler temperatures and lower humidity.