Ancient genomics and the origin, dispersal, and development of domestic sheep

Science. 2025 Jan 31;387(6733):492-497. doi: 10.1126/science.adn2094. Epub 2025 Jan 30.

Abstract

The origins and prehistory of domestic sheep (Ovis aries) are incompletely understood; to address this, we generated data from 118 ancient genomes spanning 12,000 years sampled from across Eurasia. Genomes from Central Türkiye ~8000 BCE are genetically proximal to the domestic origins of sheep but do not fully explain the ancestry of later populations, suggesting a mosaic of wild ancestries. Genomic signatures indicate selection by ancient herders for pigmentation patterns, hornedness, and growth rate. Although the first European sheep flocks derive from Türkiye, in a notable parallel with ancient human genome discoveries, we detected a major influx of Western steppe-related ancestry in the Bronze Age.

Publication types

  • Historical Article
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • DNA, Ancient* / analysis
  • Europe
  • Genome*
  • Genomics*
  • History, Ancient
  • Humans
  • Sheep / genetics
  • Sheep, Domestic* / genetics

Substances

  • DNA, Ancient