Herkunft, Taxonomie und neuere Entwicklung des zyprischen Mufflons (Ovis gmelini ophion).Origin, taxonomy and recent denelopmens in the Cyprian wild sheep (Ovis gmelini ophion).

Human presence in Cyprus has been dated back to 8230 BC. The first fossil findings of wild sheep stem from the time around 6000 BC. The first mouflon were brought to Cyprus by man, and were a domesticated wild strain of sheep. Phenotypic and genotypic differences to domestic sheep could be demonstrated. Since 1992 the Cyprian wild sheep has been identified as Ovis gmelini ophion. Under 2 the following characteristics of the Cyprian wild sheep are listed: body size (2.1), body weight (2.2), horn dimensions (2.3), colour (2.4). The horns differ from the European wild sheep in their backwards curvature. The artistic depiction of wild sheep during Greek and Roman times has been proven. These sheep were still plentiful during the Middle Ages. 1937 only few remnant populations were left. In 1939 the remaining animals were surviving in the forest of Paphos which was declared a game protection reserve and in 1984 parts thereof were made into a national park. In 1992 an extant population of 900 to 1,500 animals could be estimated.