While both hail from the subfamily Caprinae, sheep and goats diverge at the genus level and arrive as distinct species. Sheep (Ovis aries) have 54 chromosomes; goats (Capra aegagrus hircus) have 60.

A lamb and ewe at the UC Davis Sheep Barn. Ruminants such as sheep, goats, cattle and deer are among the most successful and widespread groups of mammals. A new study of genomes of 44 wild and ...