Editing Dall sheep (section)

==Taxonomy and genetics==
The [[species|specific]] name ''dalli,'' is derived from [[William Healey Dall]] (1845–1927), an American naturalist. The common name, Dall's sheep or Dall sheep is often used to refer to the [[nominate subspecies]], ''O. d. dalli''. The other subspecies, ''O. d. stonei'', is called the [[Stone sheep]].

Originally, the subspecies ''O. d. dalli'' and ''O. d. stonei'' were distinguished by the color of their [[fur]]. However, the pelage-based designations have been shown to be questionable. Complete colour intergradation occurs in both ''O. dalli'' sheep subspecies (i.e., Dall's and Stone's), ranging between white and dark morphs of the species.  Intermediately coloured populations, called [[Fannin sheep]], were originally (incorrectly) identified as a unique subspecies (''O. d. fannini'') with distributions inhabiting in the [[Pelly Mountains]] and [[Ogilvie Mountains]] of the Yukon Territory.<ref name=sheldon>Sheldon, C. (1911). ''The Wilderness of the Upper Yukon''. First edition. Charles Scribner's Sons, New York.</ref>  Fannin sheep have more recently been confirmed as admixed individuals with predominantly Dall's sheep genetic origins.  Previous [[mitochondrial DNA]] evidence had shown no molecular division along earlier subspecies boundaries,<ref name=loehr>{{cite journal|author1=Loehr, J. |author2=K. Worley |author3=A. Grapputo |author4=J. Carey |author5=A. Veitch |author6=D. W. Coltman |year=2006|title=Evidence for cryptic glacial refugia from North American mountain sheep mitochondrial DNA|journal=Journal of Evolutionary Biology|volume= 19|issue=2 |pages=419–430|doi=10.1111/j.1420-9101.2005.01027.x|pmid=16599918|citeseerx=10.1.1.574.4471 |s2cid=14564699 }}</ref> although evidence from nuclear DNA may provide some support.<ref name=worley>{{cite journal|author=Worley, K. |author2=Strobeck, C. |author3=Arthur, S. |author4=Carey, J. |author5=Schwantje, H. |author6=Veitch, A. |author7=Coltman, D.W. |name-list-style=amp |year=2004 |title=Population genetic structure of North American thinhorn sheep Ovis dalli |journal=Molecular Ecology |volume=13 |pages=2545–2556 |pmid=15315669 |url=http://www.enr.gov.nt.ca/_live/documents/content/Journal_Publications23.pdf |doi=10.1111/j.1365-294X.2004.02248.x |issue=9 |bibcode=2004MolEc..13.2545W |s2cid=11943549 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120329032106/http://www.enr.gov.nt.ca/_live/documents/content/Journal_Publications23.pdf |archive-date=29 March 2012 }}</ref> Current taxonomy using mitochondrial DNA information may be less reliable due to hybridization between ''O. dalli'' and ''[[Bighorn sheep|O. canadensis]]'' recorded in evolutionary history.<ref name="loehr"/>

Current genetics analyses using a genomewide set of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) has confirmed new subspecies range boundaries for both Dall's and Stone's sheep, updating the previous pelage-based and mitochondrial DNA classifications.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Genome-wide set of SNPs reveals evidence for two glacial refugia and admixture from postglacial recolonization in an alpine ungulate|first1=Zijian|last1=Sim|first2=Jocelyn C|last2=Hall|first3=Bill|last3=Jex|first4=Troy M|last4=Hegel|first5=David W|last5=Coltman|doi=10.1111/mec.13701|journal=Molecular Ecology|volume=25|issue=15|date=August 2016|pages=3696–3705|pmid=27272944|bibcode=2016MolEc..25.3696S |s2cid=3761106}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|title=Management implications of highly resolved hierarchical population genetic structure in thinhorn sheep|date=April 2019|journal=Conservation Genetics|doi=10.1007/s10592-018-1123-2|first1=Zijian|last1=Sim|first2=Corey S|last2=Davis|first3=Bill|last3=Jex|first4=Troy M|last4=Hegel|volume=20|issue=2|pages=185–201|bibcode=2019ConG...20..185S |s2cid=53303690|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/328942286}}</ref>

[[File:Dall sheep in denali.jpg|thumb|alt=Dall Sheep ram (male adult)|Dall sheep ram (male adult)]]