Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Artiodactyla

Family: Bovidae

Subfamily: Caprinae

Genus: Ovis

Specimen Description

Unlike their wild cousins the domestic sheep doesn’t have long and fluffy wool on their body instead they have short hairs, these hairs are tightly packed and varies color from white, brown and black. Some breeds are capable of producing wool but, they do not produce wool at the same volume as other fiber sheep, but their hair more valuable The formation of the hairs comes as a result of the domestication. Sheep were domesticated by humans around 10,000 BC. They were among the first animals domesticated. As sheep were raised under tamed conditions, they went through several changes. They began to develop more wool than hair and vise versa..

About the Animal

Sheep are related to antelopes, cattle, muskoxen and goats. All of these mammals are even-toed ungulates their hooves are cloven, or split into two toes. They are also ruminants, their stomachs have multiple chambers to aid digestion. Most sheep have large, curling horns that are made of keratin the same stuff as fingernails. Since domestication, sheep have become essential parts of farms across the world, in part because of their ability to adapt to local environments.

Reference:

Larson G, and Fuller DQ. 2014. The Evolution of Animal Domestication. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics

http://www.encyclopedia.com/plants-and-animals/animals/agriculture-animals/sheep

https://www.livescience.com/52755-sheep-facts.html

http://www.veganpeace.com/animal_facts/Sheep.html