Livestock
Llama
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The llama is a domesticated South American camelid, used by Andean cultures since the pre-Columbian era chiefly as a pack animal and for meat. DNA analysis confirms its wild ancestor as the guanaco, and its domestication took place in the Andean region of South America; a llama can carry roughly a quarter to a third of its own body weight over several miles, which made it central to Andean overland trade long before European contact. Beyond transport and meat, its fiber is spun for textiles, and it is sometimes used as a livestock guardian for sheep and goats.
Facts
Scientific Name Domestication RegionAndean region of South America 1 Primary UsesPack animal, meat, fiber for textiles, livestock guardian 1 Open Questions
Domesticated When (Circa)Pre-Columbian era; exact date not given in the source consulted 1 The source places domestication in the pre-Columbian era, thousands of years before Spanish contact, but gives no more precise date. Cross-Tradition Connections
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