| LC control no. | sh 85121208 |
|---|---|
| LC classification | QL737.U53 Zoology SF371 SF379 Animal culture |
| Topical heading | Sheep |
| Variant(s) | Domestic sheep Ovis aries Red sheep |
| See also | Livestock Ovis Shepherds Wool |
| Found in | Wikipedia, June 18, 2013 (Sheep (Ovis aries) are quadrupedal, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Like all ruminants, sheep are members of the order Artiodactyla, the even-toed ungulates. Although the name "sheep" applies to many species in the genus Ovis, in everyday usage it almost always refers to Ovis aries. A male sheep is called a ram and a female sheep is called a ewe. Sheep are most likely descended from the wild mouflon of Europe and Asia.) EOL, encyclopedia of life website, June 18, 2013 (Ovis aries, Domestic Sheep; The origins of domestic sheep are not well known. It is generally believed that sheep domestication occurred shortly after goat domestication (probably 7000 to 10000 years ago) and in the same region, the Fertile Crescent of the Middle East. Genetic studies have not yet provided a clear indication of the wild ancestors of modern domestic sheep, although progress has made in addressing this question. Groves and Leslie (2011) suggest that the Anatolian Sheep or Asiatic Mouflon (Ovis gmelini) is likely the ancestor of domestic sheep and that European Mouflon, sometimes referred to as O. musimon or O. orientalis musimon, are the feral descendants of the first domestic sheep brought to Europe. The name O. aries is often used to refer only to domestic sheep, but has also been used more broadly, depending on which forms are recognized as distinct species--for example, including mouflon as well.) Mammal species of the world, via Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History website, June 18, 2013 (Ovis aries. Common Name: Red Sheep. Domesticated worldwide) |
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