The Characterization of Genus Ovis: Genetics, Domestication and Behavior delves into the diverse world of wild and domesticated sheep. This book offers comprehensive information on the genetics, evolution, diversity, behavior, expansion, breeding, and domestication of sheep. It is a detailed characterization of this ecologically and commercially significant genus. Written by experts who have hosted the World Sheep Conference four times, the book is systematically structured into four sections to guide readers through the various Ovis species, their biological characteristics, genetic markers, and their significance to human populations.
Furthermore, it offers new insights into the functional genetics of sheep species, their migrations and expansions in connection with human history, and guidance on successful breeding and husbandry. The book is organized for accessibility to student, academic, and professional audiences, making it an indispensable resource for anyone interested in animal evolution, diversity, behavior, and husbandry.
Part 1.
1. Introduction to sheep
2. Bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis)
3. Thinhorn sheep (Ovis dalli)
4. Snow sheep (Ovis nivicola)
5. European mouflon (Ovis musimon)
6. Urial (Ovis vignei)
7. Argali (Ovis ammon)
8. Asian mouflon (Ovis orientalis)
9. Domestic sheep
Part 2.
10. Characteristics of sheep
11. Adaptations to various climates
12. Reproductive behaviors during the reproductive season
13. Genetic mechanisms for the behavioral traits in sheep
14. New methods and technologies to record sheep behaviors
Part 3.
15. Genetic markers in sheep
16. Functional genes and genetic mechanisms underlying phenotypic variations in wild sheep
17. Functional genes and genetic mechanisms underlying phenotypic variations in domestic sheep
Part 4.
18. History, domestication and migrations
19. Evidence from Neolithic archaeological sites
20. Sheep domestication and major post-domestication breeding
21. Origins of coarse-wool, medium-wool and fine-wool sheep and their expansions
22. Interspecies mating and genetic introgressions among the Ovis species
Dr. Menghua Li is Full Professor and head of China Agricultural Universitys College of Animal Science and Technology, as well as head of the Sino-Arabian Joint Laboratory for Sheep and Goat Germplasm Innovation in Beijing, China. He obtained a PhD in Animal Genetics, Breeding, and Reproduction from Huazhong Agricultural Universitys College of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine and brings more than 20 years of experience to the project. His research focuses on animal ecology, evolutionary biology, animal breeding, and germplasm innovation. Dr. Li has been the Chairman of the Sheep Committee of the International Society of Animal Genetics since 2019 and the Chairman of the first, second, third, and fourth World Sheep Conferences.
Dr. Hosein Salehian Dehkordi is Researcher at both China Agricultural University, Beijing, and the Institute of Grassland Research of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hohhot. He obtained his MSc in Animal Genetics and Breeding from Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, and his PhD in Animal Genomics and Ecology from the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing. Following his PhD, he served as Assistant Professor at Shahrekord University, Iran. His current research focuses on animal ecology, evolutionary biology, animal breeding, and germplasm innovation, and is funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China.
