@article {,
	title = {Genetic analysis reveals the wild ancestors of the llama and the alpaca},
	journal = {Proceedings of the Royal Society London B},
	volume = {268},
	number = {1485},
	year = {2001},
	note = {Miranda Kadwell A1, Matilde Fernandez A2, Helen F. Stanley A3, Ricardo Baldi A4, Jane C. Wheeler A5, Raul Rosadio A6, Michael W. Bruford A7A1 Institute of Zoology, Regent{\textquoteright}s Park, London NW1 4RY, UKA2 Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Apartado 41-0068, Lima 41, PeruA3 Institute of Zoology, Regent{\textquoteright}s Park, London NW1 4RY, UKA4 Centro Nacional Patagonico, Consejo Nacional de Investigacions Cientificas y Technologicas, 9120 Puerto Madryn, ArgentinaA5 CONOPA, Los Cerezos 106, Salamanca-Lima 3, Peru and Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Apartado 41-0068, Lima 41, PeruA6 Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Apartado 41-0068, Lima 41, PeruA7 Biodiversity and Ecological Processes Group, Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cathays Park, Cardiff CF10 3TL, UK and Institute of Zoology, Regent{\textquoteright}s Park, London NW1 4RY, UK},
	pages = {2575-2584},
	abstract = {The origins of South America{\textquoteright}s domestic alpaca and llama remain controversial due to hybridization, near extirpation during the Spanish conquest and difficulties in archaeological interpretation. Traditionally, the ancestry of both forms is attributed to the guanaco, while the vicu{\~n}a is assumed never to have been domesticated. Recent research has, however, linked the alpaca to the vicu{\~n}a, dating domestication to 6000{\textendash}7000 years before present in the Peruvian Andes. Here, we examine in detail the genetic relationships between the South American camelids in order to determine the origins of the domestic forms, using mitochondrial (mt) and microsatellite DNA. MtDNA analysis places 80\% of llama and alpaca sequences in the guanaco lineage, with those possessing vicu{\~n}a mtDNA being nearly all alpaca or alpaca{\textendash}vicu{\~n}a hybrids. We also examined four microsatellites in wild known-provenance vicu{\~n}a and guanaco, including two loci with non-overlapping allele size ranges in the wild species. In contrast to the mtDNA, these markers show high genetic similarity between alpaca and vicu{\~n}a, and between llama and guanaco, although bidirectional hybridization is also revealed. Finally, combined marker analysis on a subset of samples confirms the microsatellite interpretation and suggests that the alpaca is descended from the vicu{\~n}a, and should be reclassified as Vicugna pacos. This result has major implications for the future management of wild and domestic camelids in South America.},
	keywords = {Domestication Alpaca Guanaco Llama Vicuna Mitochondrial Dna camelid},
	url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2001.1774},
	author = {Kadwell, Miranda, and Matilde Fernandez, and Stanley, Helen F. and Ricardo Baldi, and Jane C. Wheeler, and Raul Rosadio, and Michael W. Bruford}
}