English

A Bukhara urial (Ovis vignei bochariensis)

Wikispecies

Noun

urial ‎(plural urials)

1. A bearded reddish sheep, subspecies of Ovis orientalis (including Ovis orientalis vignei), previously classified as Ovis vignei, being endemic to southern Asia and believed to be a wild ancestor of domestic sheep.
   • 1990, A. Ghosh (editor), Animals, Domestication of, article in An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology, page 3,

     All domesticated sheep are descended from the moufflon, urial or argali. They are closely related to each other and connected by intermediate breeds. Most wool sheep are believed to have been derived from urial stock, while hair sheep are traced back to the moufflon.

   • 2011, Colin Groves, Peter Grubb, Ungulate Taxonomy, page 237,

     O. severtzovi has been shuffled back and forth between the urial and the argali groups.

   • 2011, John P. Rafferty, Grazers, Britannica Educational Publishing, page 136,

     Most urials live in open habitats, with few or no trees, but there are indications that this may be a recent adaptation to changing environmental conditions and that the urial was originally more of a woodland animal than at present.

Usage notes

Taxonomic classification of sheep species/subspecies remains incompletely decided.

The urial and the related mouflon are regarded as different subspecies groups of Ovis orientalis, but in the past have been classified as separate species. See Urial on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• Lauri