About llamas
Llama ancestors existed on the plains of North America approximately
40 million years ago. One theory holds that during the ice age,
these llama ancestors were forced to move in to South America.
Some of them migrated north across the Baring Sea landbridge to
Asia, evolving into the camel of today. Those that migrated south
evolved into two distinct species – the wild vicuna and the
guanaco.
The domestic llama and the alpaca
Llamas
are members of the camelid family. The domestic llama and the alpaca
are the only two species of camelids to be domesticated and were
developed through thousands of years of controlled breeding by the
Incas. The Incas used llamas as beasts of burden as well as for
meat, hide and sinew; the woolly alpaca was bred for its fine fibre.
Llamas and alpacas are reputed to be the oldest domestic animals
in the world. Most of them today make the Alti Plano in Peru their
home, living at altitudes of 14 – 16,000 feet. The fine fleeces
from these animals provided warmth to the Andean Indians and protection
from the harsh Andean environment.
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