Domesticated sheep (Ovis aries) may only exist because of humans – but we, in our modern form, only exist because of sheep.
After their first domestication in the Middle East and Central Asia around 9,000 BC, some time after dogs, reindeer and goats, all modern sheep can trace their lineage back to two ancestral breeds.Sheep, even more than their close relatives the goats, were responsible for the greatest lifestyle shift in human history, the transition from hunter-gathering to farming.
Goats were perfect for nomads, but sheep, because of their tendency to flock and their ability to graze on the toughest grass, allowed us to stay in one place. Sheep fertilised the ground they grazed on, allowing agriculture to flourish, and their flesh and milk gave us a break from hunting.
Getting the best out of sheep meant they needed to be herded and guarded, leading to larger human settlements (and more work for the recently domesticated dog).
Looking after sheep gave us civilisation.
It took 3,000 years for our ancestors to discover that by selectively breeding sheep, they could encourage their fluffy undercoat to grow longer than the bristly guard hairs. The result was first felt and then wool, and suddenly humans had yarn, then looms and textiles.
If sheep farming was the first industry, wool became the first great trade commodity. By the Middle Ages, wool drove the economies of Europe: the Renaissance was largely financed on the profits from the wool trade.
Today, synthetic fibres have dramatically reduced wool production in Europe and America: 60% now comes from Australia, New Zealand and China.
Click here to see the article: Sheep and LGDs help create civilization.
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