Nearly 20 y ago, Jared Diamond and Peter Bellwood reviewed the evidence for the
associated spread of farming and large language families by the demographic expansions …

Sheep and goats (caprines) were domesticated in Southwest Asia in the early Holocene, but
how and in how many places remain open questions. This study investigates the initial …

This study re-examines the linguistic phylogeny of the South Caucasian linguistic family (aka
the Kartvelian linguistic family) and attempts to identify its Urheimat. We apply Bayesian …

Sheep are among the earliest domesticated livestock species, with a wide variety of breeds
present today. However, it remains unclear how far back this diversity goes, with formal …

The domestication of animals started around 12,000 years ago in the Near East region. This
“endless process” is characterized by the gradual accumulation of changes that …

Docking the tails of lambs in long-tailed sheep breeds is a common practice worldwide. But
this practice is associated with pain. Breeding for a shorter tail could offer an alternative …

Occupied between~ 10,300 and 9300 years ago, the Pre-Pottery Neolithic site of Aşıklı
Höyük in Central Anatolia went through early phases of sheep domestication. Analysis of …

The first Neolithic settlements in Southwest Asia began with a dual commitment to plant
cultivation and a sedentary lifestyle. The benefits that foragers-turned-farmers gained from …

As one of the earliest livestock, sheep (Ovis aries) were domesticated in the Fertile Crescent
about 12,000–10,000 years ago and have a nearly worldwide distribution today. Most of our …

Sheep have been one of the most important groups of animals since ancient times.
However, the knowledge of their migration routes and genetic relationships is still poorly …