Comparing the ancient goat DNA with that of modern wild goats, scientists found distinct genetic clusters indicating apparently managed goats were being bred with one another. This confirms the herders maintained a goat population largely separate from near wild goats in Iran’s Zagros Mountain region. The earliest of the goat remains date to about 8200 BCE, making the DNA in the study the oldest livestock genomes yet sequenced.
Source: Science, June 7, 2021. Link. In the earliest stages of domestication, managed goats looked identical to their wild counterparts, the bezoar (Capra aegagrus). The study results suggest the earliest livestock herders tinkered with management strategies before they succeeded in domesticating their animals.