ResumenMás de un millón de pequeños productores de los Andes centrales de Sudamérica tienen alpacas (Vicugna pacos) y llamas (Lama glama) como principal medio de subsistencia. Los animales proveen carne, leche, fibra, energía de transporte y guano y, además, son un elemento importante de la identidad cultural de sus pueblos. Con 3,9 millones de llamas y 3,3 millones de alpacas la producción total de fibras de camélidos en la región supera los 5 millones de kg anuales. Cerca del 30% de la producción de fibra se transforma y es usada a nivel de predio o comunidad. Alrededor del 80% de la alpaca comercializada es de color blanco y el 12% tiene diámetros de fibra menores de 23 micrones. Las fibras de llama son de menor valor y más variables en colores y diámetros que las fibras de alpaca. Ambas especies tienen dos razas, cada una con características de calidad de fibra y adaptación específica. También existen en Sudamérica dos especies de camélidos silvestres, el guanaco (Lama guanicoe) y la vicuña (Vicugna vicugna). Ambas tienen vellones de valiosa fibra down. Poblaciones específicas de estos camélidos califican para ser capturadas, esquiladas y liberadas generando un ingreso adicional a las comunidades en que viven. El aumento de la producción de fibras y demás productos de los camélidos sudamericanos, a la vez de preservar un recurso genético animal crítico y los valores culturales asociados y mejorar la calidad de vida de muchos pequeños productores, debe ser parte de una estrategia global de inversión sostenida en investigación y desarrollo apropiados.Palabras clave: alpaca, llama, vicuña, guanaco SummaryMore than one million smallholders in the Andean region of central South America exploit alpacas (Vicugna pacos) and lamas (Lama glama) as their main means of subsistence. Alpacas and lamas provide meat, milk, fibre, power and guano; in addition it is an important element of the cultural identity of their producers. With 3.9 million lamas and 3.3 million alpacas the total annual fibre production in the region exceeds 5 million kg. Nearly 30% of the fibre production is transformed on-farm or at the community level. About 80% of the marketed alpaca fibre is white and 12% is finer than 23 microns. Lama fibres have less value and are more variable in colours and fibre diameter than alpaca fibres. Both species of camelids have two breeds, each one with specific adaptation and fibre quality characteristics. Two wild species of camelids exist in South America: the guanaco (Lama guanicoe) and the vicuna (Vicugna vicugna). Both have fleeces with precious down fibres. Specific populations of these camelids are qualified to be captured, sheared and released, providing an additional income to the communities in which they live. Due to support to improve the production of fibre and other products of South American camelids, while preserving a valuable animal genetic resource, the cultural values of the associated production systems, and improving the livelihoods of resource-poor smallholders should be part of a global strate...

No abstract

South American camelids (SACs) have a major role in the maintenance and potential future of rural Andean human populations. More than 60% of the 3.7 million llamas living worldwide are found in Bolivia. Due to the lack of studies focusing on genetic diversity in Bolivian llamas, this analysis investigates both the genetic diversity and structure of 12 regional groups of llamas that span the greater part of the range of distribution for this species in Bolivia. The analysis of 42 microsatellite markers in the considered regional groups showed that, in general, there were high levels of polymorphism (a total of 506 detected alleles; average PIC across per marker: 0.66), which are comparable with those reported for other populations of domestic SACs. The estimated diversity parameters indicated that there was high intrapopulational genetic variation (average number of alleles and average expected heterozygosity per marker: 12.04 and 0.68, respectively) and weak genetic differentiation among populations (FST range: 0.003-0.052). In agreement with these estimates, Bolivian llamas showed a weak genetic structure and an intense gene flow between all the studied regional groups, which is due to the exchange of reproductive males between the different flocks. Interestingly, the groups for which the largest pairwise FST estimates were observed, Sud Lípez and Nor Lípez, showed a certain level of genetic differentiation that is probably due to the pattern of geographic isolation and limited communication infrastructures of these southern localities. Overall, the population parameters reported here may serve as a reference when establishing conservation policies that address Bolivian llama populations.

No abstract

Blood samples were obtained by venipuncture from unrelated individuals (n = 150) living in Ecuador.