archaeozoologists have struggled to find morphological criteria that allow them to reliably distinguish between the bones of these two closely related taxa
— Zeder and Lapham, 2010[1]
In zooarchaeology and paleontology, ovicaprids or caprines are domestic sheep and goats taken together.
Distinguishing sheep and goats from post-cranial skeletal remains has historically been difficult, so in many archaeological reports, the two are often reported in a single ovis/capra category.[1] This is problematic because of their different roles in early animal husbandry.[2]
Nonetheless, experienced analysts using systematic criteria can distinguish the two with high reliability.[1] They can also be distinguished using DNA analysis or collagen fingerprinting. Collagen has the advantage of surviving longer than DNA.[2]