Lama fossil map
Where fossils of Lama have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 0 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 0 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Early mammals |
|---|---|
| Lived | 5.333 million years ago to the present (Zanclean to Holocene) |
| Periods | Neogene, Quaternary |
| Family | Camelidae |
| Named by | Cuvier 1800 |
| Fossil records | 164 occurrences at 60 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Brazil, Peru, Uruguay |
| Rock formations | txn:42513, Lujan, Tarija, Salto Ander Egg, Sopas, Chacra La Blanqueada |
About Lama
Lama is a genus containing the South American camelids: the wild guanaco and vicuña and the domesticated llama, alpaca, and extinct chilihueque. Before the Spanish conquest of the Americas, llamas, alpacas, and chilihueques were the only domesticated ungulates of the continent. They were kept not only for their value as beasts of burden, but also for their flesh, hides, and wool.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Lama (genus) (revision 1368051595), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 23 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q753853.
