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Encyclopedia of Global Archaeology pp 3172–3175Cite as

Guinea Pig: Domestication

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Basic Species Information

Guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus, Linneaus 1758; Rodentia, Caviidae) were the only small mammals domesticated in the Americas. The other New Word animal domesticates were turkeys (Maleagris gallopavo), llamas (Lama glama), alpacas (Lama pacos), and muscovy ducks (Cairina moschata).

Guinea Pig: Domestication, Fig. 1
figure 767

Fried guinea pig dish as served in a restaurant in Ayacucho, Peru

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Guinea Pig: Domestication, Fig. 1
Guinea Pig: Domestication, Fig. 2

References

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  • Rosenfeld, S.A. 2008. Delicious guinea pigs: seasonality studies and the use of fat in the pre-Columbian Andean diet. Quaternary International 180: 127-34.

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  • Spotorno, A.E., J. P. Valladares, J.C. Marin & H. Zeballos. 2004. Molecular diversity among domestic guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus) and their close phylogenetic relationship with the Andean wild species Caviatschudii. Revista Chilena de Historia Natural 77: 243-50.

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  • Sportorno, A., G. Manriquez, A. Fernandez, J. C. Marin, F. Gonzales & J. Wheleer. 2007. Domestication of guinea pigs from a southern Peru- northern Chile wild species and their middle pre-Columbian mummies, in D. Kelt, E. Lessa, J. Salazar-Bravo & J. Patton (ed.) The quintessential naturalist: honoring the life and legacy of Oliver Pearson (UC Publications in Zoology): 367-88. Berkeley: University of California Press.

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  • Stahl, P. 2003. Pre-Columbian Andean animal domesticates at the edge of empire. World Archaeology 34: 470- 83.

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Further Reading

  • Archetti, E. 1997.Guinea pigs. Food, symbol and conflict of knowledge in Ecuador. Oxford: Berg.

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  • Morales, E. 1995. The guinea pig. Healing, food, and ritual in the Andes. Tucson: The University of Arizona Press.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anthropology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, USA

    Silvana Rosenfeld

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  1. Silvana Rosenfeld
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Correspondence to Silvana Rosenfeld .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Archaeology, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia

    Claire Smith

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Rosenfeld, S. (2014). Guinea Pig: Domestication. In: Smith, C. (eds) Encyclopedia of Global Archaeology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-0465-2_2209

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