Fat-tailed sheep Formafantasma, Oltre Terra NAM Nasjonalmuseet, Oslo NO The fat-tailed sheep is a general type of domestic sheep known for their distinctive large tails and hindquarters. In the long-tailed sheep the fat is accumulated in the tail itself, which may grow so large that it drags on the ground and hinders copulation. For sheep, extra tail fat provides energy reserves in harsh climates, reason why they can be found mainly in the Middle East, Central Asia, and Africa. Some breeds have heavy, curled tails, while others look like paddles. Due to the fat tail's function as a food storage device, this sheep evolved in arid regions such as Mesopotamia, and its tails have been further enlarged through selective breeding for quality. It is believed that the earliest evidence of fat-tailed sheep was found in ancient Uruk (3000 BC) and Ur (2400 BC) on stone vessels and mosaics. In the past, the fat from the tail was used for lighting, as well as for cooking. To avoid damage to said tails, these sheep are said to have been provided with small carts to prevent their tails from trailing on the ground. Sources: 1 - Ciani et al. Genet Sel Evol, “On the origin of European sheep as revealed by the diversity of the Balkan breeds and by optimizing population-genetic analysis tools” (2020) Images: 1 - Antonio Tempesta, Arabisch schaap, Rijks Museum (1650) 2 - Unknown artist, Syrische schapen of rammen, Rijks Museum (1683 - 1762) 3 - Micheal L. Ryder, “Sheep and man”, Duckworth (1983) #formafantasma #oltreterra #nasjonalmuseet #NAMoslo #design #research #fattailedsheep @nasjonalmuseet