History of the domestic sheep History of the domestic sheep The history of the domesticated sheep goes back to between 11000 and 9000 BC, and the domestication of the wild mouflon in ancient Mesopotamia. Sheep are among the first animals to have been domesticated by humans, and there is evidence of sheep farming in Iranian statuary dating to that time period. These sheep were primarily raised for meat, milk, and skins. Woolly sheep began to be developed around 6000 BC in Iran, and cultures such as the Persians relied on sheep's wool for trading. They were then imported to Africa and Europe via trading. The
Wild Bactrian camel Wild Bactrian camel The wild Bactrian camel ("Camelus ferus") is a critically endangered species of camel living in parts of northern China and southern Mongolia. It is closely related to the Bactrian camel ("Camelus bactrianus"). Both are large, double-humped even-toed ungulates native to the steppes of central Asia. Until recently, wild Bactrian camels were thought to have descended from domesticated Bactrian camels that became feral after being released into the wild. However, genetic studies have established it as a separate species which diverged from the Bactrian camel about 1.1 million years ago. Only about 1,400 camels survive. Most live on