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The Snow Sheep (Ovis nivicola) has a fossil record dating back 40,000 to possibly 100,000 years. Its range was broader during the Pleistocene, stretching from the Kuril and Aleutian Islands to Kamchatka and the Kuznetsk Basin, including both mountainous and plateau regions. However, climate changes at the beginning of the Holocene increased snow cover and reduced its habitat. Large predators and human hunting further impacted its numbers, leading to the extirpation of populations on the Kuril and Aleutian Islands centuries ago. Currently, the Snow Sheep faces no immediate threats and remains stable in its natural range.