The Armenian Mouflon (Ovis gmelinii), also known as the European mouflon or simply mouflon, is a species of wild ruminant mammal belonging to the Bovidae family. It is native to the southwestern Eurasian region. The Armenian Mouflon is the wild ancestor of the domestic sheep (Ovis aries). Domestication occurred around 10,000 to 11,000 years ago on the slopes of the mountain range extending from southern Eastern Turkey to southern Iran (Taurus and Zagros Mountains), marking the onset of the Neolithic revolution and the shift from a hunter-gatherer to an agrarian-herder lifestyle.
Genetic studies indicate that the domestic sheep originated from two distinct subspecies of this mouflon, with a divergence dating back 1.5 million years. This suggests the existence of two separate domestication centers. Interestingly, insular Mediterranean mouflons, such as the Corsican mouflon or the Cyprus mouflon, are believed to be primitive sheep introduced by herders around 8,000 years ago and subsequently returning to the wild in a phenomenon known as "marronnage."
The history of the Armenian Mouflon and its domestication provides unique insights into the interactions between humans and animals and the profound changes in human lifestyles over time.
