In the 1830s, North Ronaldsay faced economic turmoil with the decline of its kelp industry, prompting islanders to construct a protective dyke. This innovative measure kept sheep grazing on the shoreline seaweed, leading to the development of a unique copper sensitivity in the native breed. Consequently, terrestrial diets became hazardous for these evolved sheep, highlighting how environmental factors and geographic isolation inform the biological characteristics of domesticated animals.
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