and Northern Chile, typically at an altitude of 3500 to 5000 m above sea level. There are no known wild alpacas, and its closest living relative, the vicuña (also native to South America), is the wild ancestor of the alpaca.

The family Camelidae first appeared in the Americas 40-45 million years ago, during the Eocene period, from the common ancestor, Protylopus. The descendants divided into Camelini