The sheep genome.

Animal geneticists have been searching for the molecular basis of production traits in livestock species, including sheep, for over 40 years. Phenotypes of interest in sheep include fertility, reproduction, growth rate and efficiency, milk production, carcass quality and composition, wool characteristics, and disease resistance. The development of an ovine genome map containing molecular markers and genes has greatly advanced the identification of genetic regions containing quantitative trait loci (QTL) in sheep. Other genomic resources available for researchers investigating traits in sheep include an ovine radiation hybrid panel, large insert genomic libraries, and large-scale sequencing projects. In order to continue the identification of genes controlling important phenotypes in sheep, development of the ovine comparative map should continue.