
This domestication originated from wild mouflon ancestors, primarily for meat, milk, and skins, with later selection for woolly traits emerging around 6000 BCE.
Genetic and archaeological evidence, including findings from sites like Aşıklı Höyük in central Turkey, supports an initial domestication over 11,000 years ago.
There is also evidence of possible independent domestication around 7000 BCE in regions like Mehrgarh in South Asia.