AnAge entry for Ovis aries

Classification (HAGRID: 01631)

Taxonomy: Kingdom: Animalia
    Phylum: Chordata
        Class: Mammalia (Taxon entry)
            Order: Artiodactyla
                Family: Bovidae
                    Genus: Ovis
Species: Ovis aries
Common name: Domestic sheep, or Mouflon
Synonyms: Ovis musimon, Ovis orientalis, Ovis musimon musimon, Ovis musimon ophion, Ovis aries musimon, Ovis aries ophion, Ovis ophion

Lifespan, ageing, and relevant traits

Maximum longevity: 22.8 years (captivity)
Source: ref. 671
Sample size: Large
Data quality: High
Observations: Domestic sheep exhibit gradual senescence. The onset of reproductive senescence has been shown to occur at 5 and 6 years of age [0750]. One captive specimen lived 22.8 years [0671]. Variation in the insulin-like growth factor I receptor gene is associated with longevity in ewes [1161].

Life history traits (averages)

: No information is available on life history. Please contact us if you wish to suggest or contribute data.

Metabolism

Typical body temperature: 312ºK or 38.8ºC or 101.8ºF
Basal metabolic rate: Not yet available

References

[1150] Jones et al. (2014), Diversity of ageing across the tree of life (PubMed)
[1135] Lemaitre et al. (2013), Comparing free-ranging and captive populations reveals intra-specific variation in aging rates in large herbivores (PubMed)
[1143] Nussey et al. (2013), Senescence in natural populations of animals: widespread evidence and its implications for bio-gerontology (PubMed)
[1161] Byun et al. (2012), An association between lifespan and variation in insulin-like growth factor I receptor in sheep (PubMed)
[1136] Gomes et al. (2011), Comparative biology of mammalian telomeres: hypotheses on ancestral states and the roles of telomeres in longevity determination (PubMed)
[0978] Jones et al. (2009), PanTHERIA: a species-level database of life history, ecology, and geography of extant and recently extinct mammals
[0789] Wilson et al. (2007), Evidence for a genetic basis of aging in two wild vertebrate populations (PubMed)
[0817] Bielby et al. (2007), The fast-slow continuum in mammalian life history: an empirical reevaluation (PubMed)
[1015] Piccione et al. (2005), Scaling the daily oscillations of breathing frequency and skin temperature in mammals (PubMed)
[0490] Davis et al. (2005), Replicative senescence in sheep fibroblasts is a p53 dependent process (PubMed)
[0671] Richard Weigl (2005), Longevity of Mammals in Captivity; from the Living Collections of the World
[0610] Ernest (2003), Life history characteristics of placental non-volant mammals
[0285] Kuhholzer-Cabot and Brem (2002), Aging of animals produced by somatic cell nuclear transfer (PubMed)
[0750] Mysterud et al. (2002), Early onset of reproductive senescence in domestic sheep Ovis aries
[0189] Kapahi et al. (1999), Positive correlation between mammalian life span and cellular resistance to stress (PubMed)
[0677] Saether and Gordon (1994), The adaptive significance of reproductive strategies in ungulates (PubMed)
[0455] Virginia Hayssen et al. (1993), Asdell's Patterns of Mammalian Reproduction: A Compendium of Species-Specific Data
[0286] Dziewiatkowski et al. (1989), Age-related changes in the composition of proteoglycans in sheep cartilages (PubMed)
[0081] Miller (1988), A set of test life tables for theoretical gerontology (PubMed)
[0287] Lutz et al. (1977), Rearrangements of integral membrane components during in vitro aging of sheep erythrocyte membranes (PubMed)

External Resources

Integrated Taxonomic Information System: ITIS 552475
Animal Diversity Web: ADW account
Encyclopaedia of Life: Search EOL
NCBI Taxonomy: Taxonomy ID 9940
Entrez: Search all databases
Ageing Literature: Search Google Scholar or Search PubMed
Images: Google Image search
Internet: Search Google