How have sheep been able to survive natural selection given their weak nature?
The sheep we have today are a result of thousands of years of *artificial* selection, ie breeding, by humans. Most of the things that enabled them survive in the wild, but which are no longer beneficial, have most likely been bred out over the years. Even so, we do see some remnants which show how they would have previously survived. They’re highly group-orientated – hence the phrase ‘following like sheep’ – which in the wild would have meant that they lived in large groups, rendering individuals relatively safe from predators. Plus, males have large horns which could presumably be fairly vicious if necessary.
