IPB University Expert: The Evolution of Sheep into Unique Livestock Animals
Some of us might only be aware of the superficial benefits of sheep, such as their meat and wool. However, beyond that, sheep are highly beneficial for the advancement of science and are also considered one of the unique livestock animals.
Prof Ronny Rachman Noor, a Genetics Ecology Expert from IPB University, explains that currently, there are hundreds of sheep breeds worldwide, each with its own uniqueness in appearance, although all these sheep breeds still belong to the same species, Ovis aries.
“If we look at the history of sheep evolution, we will trace back the evolution of sheep, which began around 10-20 million years ago, and the domestication point is estimated to have started between 11,000 and 9,000 BC in the mountains of the Central Asian Mesopotamian region,” said Prof Ronny.
He continues, from this initial point of sheep ancestors, sheep began to spread worldwide, including to extreme environments, to grow and develop, thus producing various unique sheep breeds that we can see today.
“When sheep grow and develop in a unique environment and with human intervention to breed them, it will form very unique domesticated sheep, such as the Racka sheep with twisted horns in Hungary, the Leicester sheep with white color and upright ears in Scotland. Indonesia also has a unique sheep breed known as the Garut sheep,” he explained.
According to Prof Ronny, in nature, sheep are social mammals that live in groups to protect themselves from predators. Furthermore, the social life of sheep in groups makes it easier to find food and protect each other to grow and reproduce. Various research findings show that sheep can recognize the faces of other sheep, including humans.
“From historical records and findings, it turns out that in the 17th century, sheep intestines, after being processed in a certain way, were used as condoms before modern latex condoms were developed,” revealed the IPB University Professor.
He adds that from the perspective of scientific development, sheep have also made significant contributions. Sheep inspired the rapid development of artificial insemination technology, including in humans, which is booming today.
“By studying sheep embryology, human reproduction experts were able to increase egg production in humans, which underpins the success of human IVF,” said Prof Ronny.
According to Prof Ronny, the milestone in cloning history using somatic cells also began with sheep. “These somatic cells developed into embryos and produced Dolly the sheep, which is considered a spectacular discovery in the world of science that changed the direction of cloning technology development,” explained Prof Ronny. (IAAS/Hap)
