Which animals were domesticated by Indigenous peoples in the Americas?
Indigenous peoples in the Americas domesticated several animal species, though they domesticated fewer species than their counterparts in the Old World, largely due to the absence of large, gregarious animals suitable for draft work.1
The animals domesticated by Indigenous peoples in the Americas include:
- Alpaca (Lama pacos)1
- Llama (Lama glama)1
- Cavy, or guinea pig (Cavia porcellus)1
- Muscovy duck (Cairina moschata)1
- Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)1
The llama and alpaca, known collectively as camelids, were particularly vital to Andean civilizations, providing resources such as wool and serving as pack animals, though they were not used for heavy traction like the plow animals of the Old World. The common turkey was domesticated in pre-Columbian Mexico and later became a significant food source. Other animals, such as horses, cattle, and sheep, were introduced to the Americas by Europeans during the Columbian Exchange and were not domesticated by Indigenous peoples prior to that contact.1234