Llamas originally come from North America, true or false?
True! Llamas are members of the camel family (camelids). They originsally evolved in the Central Plains of North America around 10 million years ago. The ancestors to the llama made its way to South America 2.5 million years ago while the ancestor to the camel made it's way to the Middle East. An ice age in North America marked the extinction of indigenous camelids in North America 10,000 - 12,000 years ago.
In recent times, Llamas were imported to North America from South America. Due to restrictions on importation, nearly all llamas in the United States are descendents of the approximately 100 animals kept by newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst at the zoo at his famed Hearst Castle in the 1930s.
Order a Free Travel Planner to this or other Weekend Explorer with Jeffrey Lehmann destinations. Get
it now! |
