Guinea pigs may have been one of the most important food sources in ancient Peru since well before Inca times. Unfortunately, the small size of their bones and the modern tendency to toss them in open garbage heaps--where they are immediately and entirely consumed by dogs--may be an appropriate analogy to explain why guinea pigs seem to be dramatically underrepresented in archaeological bone assemblages. This makes it comparatively harder for archaeologists to pinpoint cavy domestication accurately both in space and time. In any event, Peruvian archaeologists contend that domestication of the guinea pig may have begun as early as 5000 BCE in the Altiplano region of southern Peru and Bolivia. It is in this region that wild cavy (Cavia tschudii) populations can still be found to this day. Investigations at Chavin de Huantar in the north-central highlands of Peru clearly documents cavy exploitation at least by 900 BCE. Quite early on, the guinea pig may have been exploited on the coastal plain as well, and historic statues depicting cavies are known from the Moche region of Peru's northern coast. In solid archaeological contexts, the Moche Valley first sees significant guinea pig exploitation by 200 BCE. Archaeological evidence of cavy exploitation and breeding on the coastal plain of Ecuador dates from at least 500 BCE.
After the Spanish entrada into the New World, the guinea pig soon found its way to the European continent, where it immediately became popular as a household pet. Queen Elizabeth I herself owned a pet cavy, which may have contributed to its popularity. The name "guinea pig" is of uncertain origin. "Guinea" might be a corruption of Guiana in South America, or it may refer to Guinea in West Africa, where the cavy could have passed through on its way to Europe with the slave trade. Or it possibly refers to the gold coin known as a guinea, which is often said to have been the price one paid for the friendly rodent that squeaks like a pig.

Source: Domestication

The domestic guinea pig was first described in 1758 by Linnaeus as Mus porcellus. In 1766, Pallas independently classified the species as Cavia cobaya (the genus name coined in Latin from the Tupi sawiya via the Portuguese av’a/sav’a="rat"). Under the international rules for zoological nomenclature, the proper scientific name therefore became Cavia porcellus, since cavies clearly do not belong in the mouse genus (Mus). Five species of Cavia are currently listed by the Smithsonian, though this is not without dispute. All are closely related. C. tschudii is most commonly considered to be the wild ancestor of the domestic form, though some researchers bestow this honor on C. aperea. Many biologists do not recognize C. aperea as a species distinct from C. tschudii and call them both by the latter name. Other scientists do not find the wild and domestic strains sufficiently distinct from each other to be considered separate species and refer to both as C. porcellus. Some of these researchers consider a signification portion of the "wild" strain to be a feral population of formerly domesticated guinea pigs.
In South America, wild or feral cavies inhabit rocky areas, savannas, forest edges, and swamps from Columbia and Venezuela southward to Brazil and northern Argentina. They live in groups of up to about 10 individuals and inhabit burrows that are dug by themselves or by other animals. They are most active at night, when they forage for a wide variety of plant materials. In the wild, guinea pigs mate throughout the year. Females typically give birth twice a year to litters of 1-4 pups. Adults reach a top weight of about 700 grams. The pelage of wild forms is generally courser and longer than domestic short-hair breeds, though it is mostly shorter and straighter than the various long-hair and other fancy breeds. The color is much less variable in wild populations than among domestic cavies. It tends to be uniformly grayish or brownish and may be considered most similar in appearance to some of the solid "agouti" varieties.

Source: Cavy Hitstory

Despite the fact that archaeologists have been investigating the prehistory of Andean civilization for well over a century, the early indigenous exploitation of the guinea pig or cavy (known as the cuy in South America) is not as well understood as the domestication of other economically important animal species worldwide. What follows is a very brief introduction to what is currently known about wild cavies, the early history of their domestication, and traditional Andean uses of them that continue to the present day. This information will be updated and expanded periodically, though the reader is referred to the selected bibliography below as a starting point for more in-depth individual research. Please feel free to email me with your comments, questions, and suggestions.
Wild Cavies
Biological taxonomy and nomenclature is fluid and often disputed. The source of final authority for me (as for many other researchers) is the Mammal Species of the World list maintained by the Smithsonian Institution.
According to most biologists, guinea pigs are categorized as follows: class Mammalia; order Rodentia; suborder Hystricognathi; family Caviidae; genus Cavia; species Cavia porcellus. Some researchers choose to elevate the two suborders within Rodentia to the status of order; under this scheme, "true" rodents (squirrels, rats, mice, etc.) are distinguished from so-called "hystricognath" rodents (porcupines, chinchillas, capybaras, mole rats, guinea pigs, etc.). The distinction is primarily a semantic one, since both classification schemes acknowledge two major lineages among the animals known commonly as rodents.
The family Caviidae is first distinguished geologically during the Miocene and today consists of three genera and over 20 species confined to the South American continent. The family is characterized by various traits such as dental formula (i1/1 c0/0 p1/1 m3/3 = 20 teeth) and digits (four on fore foot; three on hind foot). In addition to guinea pigs (Cavia), other members of this family are Patagonian cavies, or maras (Dolichotis) and rock cavies, or mocos (Kerodon). All species of this family have been used as food by humans, though only Cavia is known to have been domesticated.

Source: Cavy History

This page, previously known as 'Where Did They Come From?', gives a breif history of the guinea pig, from their home in South America to our homes today.
Guinea pigs originated from South America where several different species can still be found. The ancestor of the domesticated guinea pig is thought to be the restless cavy, Cavia cutleri. The restless cavy lives in big family groups in the long grass, being protected from preditors by overhanging stems. They don't burrow for themselves but instead use abandoned burrows from other animals.
They can be attacked by meat-eating enemies so they are shy and get scared very quickly. Young cavies are not born in the safety of a burrow but out in the open. They are born fully furred with their eyes open and within two days after being born they are eating the same food as their parents.
Before the Spanish conquest of South America in the 16th century, the Incas kept them for food and even today the Peruvians breed them for their meat. Sailors, who were probably the first people to do so, kept them as pets and brought them to Europe from South America. Many people believe that is how they got their name the 'guinea pig', because the sailors sold them for one guinea and they make squeaking noises like a pig. Today many different breeds of guinea pig exist through the careful breeding and selection carried out over many years. Guinea pigs are nosey, friendly characters but they still retain some of their original habits, for example, very few guinea pigs will dig and they will rumage around looking for food.

Source: Guinea Pigs

History of Guinea Pigs!

The guinea pig is a species of rodent belonging to the family Caviidae and the genus Cavia. Despite their common name, these animals are not pigs, nor do they come from Guinea. They originated in the Andes, and studies based on biochemistry and hybridization suggest they are domesticated descendants of a closely related species of cavy such as Cavia aperea, C. fulgida or C. tschudii, and therefore do not exist naturally in the wild. The guinea pig plays an important role in the folk culture of many Indigenous South American groups, especially as a food source, but also in folk medicine and in community religious ceremonies.Since the 1960s, efforts have been made to increase consumption of the animal outside South America.

In Western societies, the guinea pig has enjoyed widespread popularity as a household pet since its introduction by European traders in the 16th century. Their docile nature, their responsiveness to handling and feeding, and the relative ease of caring for them, continue to make the guinea pig a popular pet. Organizations devoted to competitive breeding of guinea pigs have been formed worldwide, and many specialized breeds of guinea pig, with varying coat colors and compositions, are cultivated by breeders.

Source: Wikipedia