Farm Animal Divergence

     Related wild animals diverge from each other to take advantage of different niches to lessen competition for space and food with their relatives.  And two-toed farm animals, though they have been domesticated for thousands of years, still demonstrate the divergence of their ancestors to use different food sources, which eases competition among them.  Cattle, sheep, goats and pigs, for example get food in various niches and in different ways.
     Cattle graze on grass, but they do better eating lush grass in large, relatively flatter meadows without rocks and other obstructions.  Sheep also graze on grass, but they do very well with very short grass in rough terrain and smaller pastures.  Sheep do well where cattle are not as likely to.  In fact, sheep are pastured where cows would not prosper as well.  But, of course, there is some overlap between those two species. 
     Goats are closely related to sheep.  But goats do better browsing twigs and coarse vegetation in even rougher terrain than even the sheep could handle.  Again, there is some overlap between these two species, but there is divergence, too, reducing competition for food between them.
     Pigs really diverge from their relatives.  Although pigs will eat anything, anywhere, they will most likely root in the soil and fallen leaves for whatever is edible, something none of their relatives do.  But pigs have tough, flexible snouts for digging in the ground for roots, seeds and anything else, both vegetative or animal, they can shovel up and swallow.  But they are destructive, really ripping up the soil in the process and, perhaps, killing more plants and animals than they eat.  But they are not competing much with their relatives for food.
     These are just a few examples of domesticated animals whose ancestors diverged from a common ancestor to take advantage of different food sources in various niches.  This principle exists through
all of life.