When Were Alpacas Domesticated?

Alpaca were likely first domesticated in the humid Puna region of Peru during the early to mid-Holocene. Archaeozoological evidence, primarily based on tooth enamel patterns unique to alpaca, from Telarmachay rockshelter suggests that alpaca were domesticated prior to 6,000 years ago.

Who domesticated alpacas?

Archaeological evidence suggests that, like llamas, alpacas were domesticated first in the Puna highlands of central Peru about 6,000–7,000 years ago.

What did alpacas evolve from?

They are descended from camelids that developed in North America and migrated to South America 3 million years ago, according to Phil Switzer, an alpaca breeder based in Colorado. These animals evolved into guanacos and vicuñas, and about 6,000 years ago, people in the Andes began to domesticate them.