Along the Tian Shan and Alay mountain ranges of Central Asia, sheep and other domestic livestock form the core economy of contemporary life. Although it was here that the movements of their ancient predecessors helped to shape the great trade networks of the Silk Road, domestic animals were thought to have come relatively late to the region. A new study, published today in the journal Nature Human Behaviour, reveals that the roots of animal domestication in Central Asia stretch back at least 8,000 years—making the region one of the oldest continuously inhabited pastoral landscapes in the world.
Click here for original story, Early dispersal of neolithic domesticated sheep into the heart of central Asia
Source: Phys.org