Myotragus of the island of Majorca ("Myotragus pepgonellae") indicate that "Myotragus balearicus", in spite of being a browsing animal, descended originally from grazers. The closest related species to "Myotragus" are ovine, such as the extinct "Nesogoral" of the Plio-Pleistocene of Sardinia, the old "Gallogoral" of France (possible mainland ancestor of both "Myotragus" and "Nesogoral"), "Ovis" (present sheep and mouflon) and the mountain goats of Central Asia. The last ancestor common to "Myotragus" and "Nesogoral" arrived at Majorca and Sardinia around 6 million years ago, a time at which the Straits of Gibraltar were closed and the Mediterranean Sea was a small
Alternatives to animal testing Medical Experiments that despite the use of microdosing, "animal studies will still be required". Guiding principles for more ethical use of animals in testing are the Three Rs (3Rs) first described by Russell and Burch in 1959. These principles are now followed in many testing establishments worldwide. Cell culture can be an alternative to animal use in some cases. For example, cultured cells have been developed to create monoclonal antibodies; prior to this, production required animals to undergo a procedure likely to cause pain and distress. However, even though cell or tissue culture methods may reduce the number of experiments