Wikipedia

Zebu

(Redirected from Zebu cattle)
For other uses, see Zebu (disambiguation).

The zebu (/ˈziːb(j)uː, ˈzeɪbuː/; Bos indicus[4]), sometimes known in the plural as indicine cattle, Camel cow or humped cattle, is a species or subspecies of domestic cattle originating in South Asia.[5] Zebu, like many Sanga cattle breeds, differs from taurine cattle by a fatty hump on their shoulders, a large dewlap, and sometimes drooping ears. They are well adapted to withstanding high temperatures and are farmed throughout the tropics.

Zebu
Scientific classification Edit this classification
(Disputed,[1] see § Taxonomy and name)
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Bovidae
Subfamily: Bovinae
Genus: Bos
Species:
B. indicus
Subspecies:
B. i.
Trinomial name
Bos indicus
Synonyms[2][3]

Zebu are used as draught and riding animals, dairy cattle and beef cattle, as well as for byproducts such as hides and dung for fuel and manure. Some small breeds such as Nadudana also known as the miniature zebu[6] are also kept as pets.[7]

In some regions, zebu have significant religious meaning.

Taxonomy

edit

Both scientific names Bos taurus and Bos indicus were introduced by Carl Linnaeus in 1758, with the latter used to describe humped cattle in China.[3]

The zebu was classified as a distinct species by Juliet Clutton-Brock in 1999,[8] but as a subspecies of the domestic cattle, Bos taurus indicus, by both Clutton-Brock and Colin Groves in 2004[9] and by Peter Grubb in 2005.[10] In 2011, Groves and Grubb classified it as a distinct species again.[11][failed verification]

The American Society of Mammalogists considers it part of the species Bos taurus in analogy to Sanga cattle (Bos taurus africanus Kerr, 1792).[2] The International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature has not yet published a ruling on the classification of domestic derivatives and no scientific body advocates the abolition of the biological species concept for domestic animals.

Currently (2024s), it is not correct to describe Zebu animals as Bos taurus indicus, but rather as Bos indicus,[4] because they are a different species from Bos taurus. The extinct wild auroch (Bos primigenius) population diverged into two distinct genetic strains: the humpless Bos taurus (taurine) and the humped Bos indicus (indicine or zebu).[12]

Origin

edit
 
A Pillar of Ashoka, dating to the 3rd century BCE, depicting a zebu
 
Zebu pictured on a coin of the Indo-Scythian king Azes II, late first century BCE

Zebu cattle were found to derive from the Indian form of aurochs and have first been domesticated between 7,000 and 6,000 YBP at Mehrgarh, present-day Pakistan, by people linked to or coming from Mesopotamia.[13][14][15][16]

Its wild ancestor, the Indian aurochs, became extinct during the Indus Valley civilisation likely due to habitat loss, caused by expanding pastoralism and interbreeding with domestic zebu.[5][17] Its latest remains ever found were dated to 3,800 YBP, making it the first of the three aurochs subspecies to die out.[18][19]

Archaeological evidence including depictions on pottery and rocks suggests that humped cattle likely imported from the Near East was present in Egypt around 4,000 YBP. Its first appearance in the Subsahara is dated to after 700 AD and it was introduced to the Horn of Africa around 1000.[20]

Phylogenetic analysis revealed that all the zebu Y chromosome haplotype groups are found in three different lineages: Y3A, the most predominant and cosmopolitan lineage; Y3B, only observed in West Africa; and Y3C, predominant in south and northeast India.[21]

Characteristics

edit
 
Female zebu in Sri Lanka

Zebu, as well as many Sanga cattle, have humps on the shoulders, large dewlaps and droopy ears.[22]

Compared to taurine cattle, the zebu is well adapted to the hot tropical savanna climate and steppe environments. These adaptations result in higher tolerance for drought, heat and sunlight exposure.[23]

Behaviour and ecology

edit

Studies on the natural weaning of zebu cattle have shown that cows wean their calves over a 2-week period, but after that, continue to show strong affiliatory behavior with their offspring and preferentially choose them for grooming and as grazing partners for at least 4–5 years.[24]

Reproduction

edit

Zebu are generally mature enough to give birth when they are 29 months old. This is based on the development of their bodies to withstand the strain of carrying the calf and lactation. Early reproduction can place too much stress on the body and possibly shorten lifespans. The gestation period averages 285 days, but varies depending on the age and nutrition of the mother. The sex of the calf may also affect the carrying time, as male calves are carried for a longer period than females. Location, breed, body weight, and season affect the overall health of the animal and in return may also affect the gestation period.[23]

Health and diseases

edit

The zebu is susceptible to nagana as it does not exhibit trypanotolerance.[25][26] It is said to be resilient to parasites.[27]

Breeds and hybrids

edit

Zebu are very common in much of Asia, including Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh and China. In Asia, taurine cattle are mainly found in the northern regions such as Japan, Korea, northern China and Mongolia. In China, taurine cattle are most common in northern breeds, zebu more common in southern breeds, with hybrids in between.[28][29]

 
Zebu market in Madagascar

Geneticists at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) in Nairobi, Kenya and in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia discovered that cattle had been domesticated in Africa independently of domestication in the Near East. They concluded that the southern African cattle populations derive originally from East Africa rather than from a southbound migration of taurine cattle.[30] The results are inconclusive as to whether domestication occurred first in Africa or the Near East.[31]

Sanga cattle breeds is considered to have originated from hybridization of zebu with taurine cattle [32] leading to the Afrikaner, Red Fulani, Ankole, Boran and many other breeds.

Some 75 breeds of zebu are known, split about evenly between African and Indian breeds.

List of widely distributed zebu breeds
Gyr[33] |Kankrej and Guzerat[34] |Indo-Brazilian[35] |Brahman[36] |Sibi Bhagnari[37] |White Nukra[38] |Cholistani[39]|Dhanni[40]|Lohani[41]|Nelore |Ongole[42] |Sahiwal[43]|Red Sindhi[44]|Butana and Kenana[45]|Baggara[46] |Tharparkar[47]|Kangayam[48] |Southern Yellow[49]|Kedah Kelantan[50]|Local Indian Diary[51]
 
Hariana breed of zebu type cattle in north India

Other breeds of zebu are quite local, like the Hariana from Haryana, Punjab[52] or the Rath from Alwar district, Rajasthan.[53]

Zebu, which are adapted to high temperatures,[54] were imported into Brazil in the early 20th century. Their importation marked a change in cattle ranching in Brazil as they were considered "ecological" since they could graze on natural grasses[Is there a ruminant that can't? clarification needed] and their meat was lean and without chemical residues.[definition needed][55]

In the early 20th century in Brazil, Zebu were crossbred with Charolais cattle, a European taurine breed. The resulting breed, 63% Charolais and 37% zebu, is called the Canchim. It has a better meat quality than the zebu and better heat resistance than European cattle. The zebu breeds used were primarily Indo-Brazilian with some Nelore and Guzerat. Another Charolais cross-breed with Brahmans is called Australian Charbray and is recognised as a breed in some countries.

From the 1960s onwards, Nelore which is an off breed of Ongole Cattle became the primary breed of cattle in Brazil because of its hardiness, heat-resistance, and because it thrives on poor-quality forage and breeds easily, with the calves rarely requiring human intervention to survive. Currently more than 80% of beef cattle in Brazil (approximately 167,000,000 animals) are either purebred or hybrid Ongole Cattle which is originated from Ongle region of Andhra Pradesh.

Uses

edit
 
Draft zebu pulling a cart in Mumbai, India
 
A villager with a decorated bull during Pongal festival

Zebu are used as draught and riding animals, beef cattle, dairy cattle, as well as for byproducts such as hides, dung for fuel and manure, and horn for knife handles and the like. Zebu, mostly miniature zebu, are kept as pets.[56] In India, the number of draft cattle in 1998 was estimated at 65.7 million head.[57] Zebu cows commonly have low production of milk. They do not produce milk until maturation later in their lives and do not produce much. When zebus are crossed with taurine cattle, milk production generally increases.[23]

In Madagascar, zebu outnumber people, and there are an "astonishing" 6,813 Malagasy proverbs, common sayings, and expressions referring to zebu in parlance on the island.[58] Zebu are wrestled by young men in a competitive ritual of courtship called tolon'omby.[58][59]

Within the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, zebu are used for jallikattu.

In 1999, researchers at Texas A&M University successfully cloned a zebu.[60]

Hindu tradition

edit
Further information: Cattle slaughter in India

Zebu are venerated in Hinduism of India. In the historical Vedic religion they were a symbol of plenty.[61]: 130  In later times they gradually acquired their present status. According to the Mahabharata, they are to be treated with the same respect 'as one's mother'.[62] In the middle of the first millennium, the consumption of beef began to be disfavoured by lawgivers.[61]: 144 

Milk and milk products were used in Vedic rituals.[61]: 130  In the postvedic period products like milk, curd, ghee, but also cow dung and urine gomutra, or the combination of these five panchagavya began to assume an increasingly important role in ritual purification and expiation.[61]: 130–131 

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (1922). "Opinion 75. Twenty-Seven Generic Names of Protozoa, Vermes, Pisces, Reptilia and Mammalia Included in the Official List of Zoological Names". Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections. 73 (1): 35–37.
  2. ^ a b c American Society of Mammalogists (2021). "Bos taurus". ASM Mammal Diversity Database. Archived from the original on May 1, 2023.
  3. ^ a b Linnaeus, C. (1758). "Bos indicus". Systema naturae per regna tria naturae: secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis (in Latin). Vol. 1 (Tenth reformed ed.). Holmiae: Laurentii Salvii. p. 71.
  4. ^ a b "ACIR Community". acir.aphis.usda.gov. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
  5. ^ a b Chen, S.; Lin, B.-Z.; Baig, M.; Mitra, B.; Lopes, R. J.; Santos, A. M.; Magee, D. A.; Azevedo, M.; Tarroso, P.; Sasazaki, S.; Ostrowski, S. (2010). "Zebu Cattle Are an Exclusive Legacy of the South Asia Neolithic". Molecular Biology and Evolution. 27 (1): 1–6. doi:10.1093/molbev/msp213. PMID 19770222.
  6. ^ "Miniature Zebu Cattle - Oklahoma State University". breeds.okstate.edu. 2022-05-23. Retrieved 2024-07-12.
  7. ^ Madalena, F.E.; Toledo-Alvarado, H.; Cala-Moreno, N. (2019). "Bos indicus Breeds and Bos indicus × Bos taurus Crosses". Encyclopedia of Dairy Sciences. pp. 30–47. doi:10.1016/B978-0-08-100596-5.00619-3. ISBN 978-0-12-818767-8.
  8. ^ Clutton-Brock, J. (1999) [1987]. "Asiatic cattle". A Natural History of Domesticated Mammals (Second ed.). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. p. 85. ISBN 978-0-521-63495-3. OCLC 39786571.
  9. ^ Gentry, Anthea; Clutton-Brock, Juliet; Groves, Colin P (May 2004). "The naming of wild animal species and their domestic derivatives". Journal of Archaeological Science. 31 (5): 645–651. Bibcode:2004JArSc..31..645G. doi:10.1016/j.jas.2003.10.006.
  10. ^ Grubb, P. (2005). "Subspecies Bos taurus indicus". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 645–646. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
  11. ^ Groves, C.; Grubb, P. (2011). "Domestication". Ungulate taxonomy. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 8–9. ISBN 978-1-4214-0093-8.
  12. ^ Utsunomiya, Y. T.; Milanesi, M.; Fortes, M. R. S.; Porto-Neto, L. R.; Utsunomiya, A. T. H.; Silva, M. V. G. B.; Garcia, J. F.; Ajmone-Marsan, P. (December 2019). "Genomic clues of the evolutionary history of Bos indicus cattle". Animal Genetics. 50 (6): 557–568. doi:10.1111/age.12836. ISSN 0268-9146. PMID 31475748.
  13. ^ Van Vuure, C. (2005). Retracing the Aurochs: History, Morphology and Ecology of an Extinct Wild Ox. Sofia: Pensoft Publishers. ISBN 978-954-642-235-4.
  14. ^ Bradley, D. G.; MacHugh, D. E.; Cunningham, P.; Loftus, R. T. (1996). "Mitochondrial diversity and the origins of African and European cattle". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 93 (10): 5131–5135. Bibcode:1996PNAS...93.5131B. doi:10.1073/pnas.93.10.5131. PMC 39419. PMID 8643540.
  15. ^ Pérez-Pardal, L.; Sánchez-Gracia, A.; Álvarez, I.; Traoré, A.; Ferraz, J. B. S.; Fernández, I.; Costa, V.; Chen, S.; Tapio, M.; Cantet, R. J. C.; Patel, A.; Meadow, R. H.; Marshall, F. B.; Beja-Pereira, A.; Goyache, F. (2018). "Legacies of domestication, trade and herder mobility shape extant male zebu cattle diversity in South Asia and Africa". Scientific Reports. 8 (1): 18027. Bibcode:2018NatSR...818027P. doi:10.1038/s41598-018-36444-7. PMC 6303292. PMID 30575786.
  16. ^ Gangal, K.; Sarson, G. R.; Shukurov, A. (2014). "The Near-Eastern Roots of the Neolithic in South Asia". PLOS ONE. 9 (5): e95714. Bibcode:2014PLoSO...995714G. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0095714. PMC 4012948. PMID 24806472.
  17. ^ Rangarajan, M. (2001). India's Wildlife History. Delhi, India: Permanent Black. p. 4. ISBN 978-81-7824-140-1.
  18. ^ Turvey, S. T.; Sathe, V.; Crees, J. J.; Jukar, A. M.; Chakraborty, P.; Lister, A. M. (2021). "Late Quaternary megafaunal extinctions in India: How much do we know?" (PDF). Quaternary Science Reviews. 252: 106740. Bibcode:2021QSRv..25206740T. doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2020.106740. S2CID 234265221.
  19. ^ Chen, S.; Lin, B.-Z.; Baig, M.; Mitra, B.; Lopes, R. J.; Santos, A. M.; Magee, D. A.; Azevedo, M.; Tarroso, P.; Sasazaki, S.; Ostrowski, S.; Mahgoub, O.; Chaudhuri, T. K.; Zhang, Y.-p.; Costa, V.; Royo, L. J.; Goyache, F.; Luikart, G.; Boivin, N.; Fuller, D. Q.; Mannen, H.; Bradley, D. G.; Beja-Pereira, A. (January 2010). "Zebu Cattle Are an Exclusive Legacy of the South Asia Neolithic". Molecular Biology and Evolution. 27 (1): 1–6. doi:10.1093/molbev/msp213. PMID 19770222.
  20. ^ Marshall, F. (1989). "Rethinking the Role of Bos indicus in Sub-Sahara Africa". Current Anthropology. 30 (2): 235–240. doi:10.1086/203737. JSTOR 2743556. S2CID 143063029.
  21. ^ Pérez-Pardal, Lucía; Sánchez-Gracia, Alejandro; Álvarez, Isabel; Traoré, Amadou; Ferraz, J. Bento S.; Fernández, Iván; Costa, Vânia; Chen, Shanyuan; Tapio, Miika; Cantet, Rodolfo J. C.; Patel, Ajita; Meadow, Richard H.; Marshall, Fiona B.; Beja-Pereira, Albano; Goyache, Félix (21 December 2018). "Legacies of domestication, trade and herder mobility shape extant male zebu cattle diversity in South Asia and Africa". Scientific Reports. 8 (1): 18027. Bibcode:2018NatSR...818027P. doi:10.1038/s41598-018-36444-7. PMC 6303292. PMID 30575786.
  22. ^ "Definition: Zebu". IFIZCI. Retrieved 2007-09-08.
  23. ^ a b c Mukasa-Mugerwa, E. (1989). A Review of a Reproductive Performance of Female Bos Indicus (zebu) Cattle. ILRI (aka ILCA and ILRAD). hdl:10568/4217. ISBN 978-92-9053-099-2.[page needed]
  24. ^ Reinhardt, V.; Reinhardt, A. (1981). "Cohesive relationships in a cattle herd (Bos indicus)". Behaviour. 77 (3): 121–150. doi:10.1163/156853981X00194.
  25. ^ MacHugh, D.E. (1997). "Microsatellite DNA Variation and the evolution, domestication and phylogeography of Taurine and Zebu Cattle (Bos taurus and Bos indicus)". Genetics. 146 (3): 1071–1086. doi:10.1093/genetics/146.3.1071. PMC 1208036. PMID 9215909.
  26. ^ Makina, S.O.; Whitacre, L.K.; Decker, J.E.; Taylor, J.F.; MacNeil, M.D.; Scholtz, M.M.; Van Marle-Köster, E.; Muchadeyi, F.C.; Makgahlela, M.L.; Maiwashe, A. (2016). "Insight into the genetic composition of South African Sanga cattle using SNP data from cattle breeds worldwide". Genetics Selection Evolution. 48 (1): 88. doi:10.1186/s12711-016-0266-1. PMC 5111355. PMID 27846793.
  27. ^ Utsunomiya, Y.T.; Milanesi, M.; Fortes, M.R.S.; Porto-Neto, L.R.; Utsunomiya, A.T.H.; Silva, M.V.G.B.; Garcia, J.F.; Ajmone-Marsan, P. (2019). "Genomic clues of the evolutionary history of Bos indicus cattle". Animal Genetics. 50 (6): 557–568. doi:10.1111/age.12836. PMID 31475748.
  28. ^ Cai, Dawei; Sun, Yang; Tang, Zhuowei; Hu, Songmei; Li, Wenying; Zhao, Xingbo; Xiang, Hai; Zhou, Hui (January 2014). "The origins of Chinese domestic cattle as revealed by ancient DNA analysis". Journal of Archaeological Science. 41: 423–434. Bibcode:2014JArSc..41..423C. doi:10.1016/j.jas.2013.09.003.
  29. ^ Komosińska, Halina; Podsiadło, Elżbieta (2002). Ssaki kopytne: przewodnik [Hoofed mammals: a guide] (in Polish). Warszawa: Wydaw. Naukowe PWN. ISBN 978-83-01-13806-6. OCLC 749423644.[page needed]
  30. ^ Hanotte, Olivier; Bradley, Daniel G.; Ochieng, Joel W.; Verjee, Yasmin; Hill, Emmeline W.; Rege, J. Edward O. (12 April 2002). "African Pastoralism: Genetic Imprints of Origins and Migrations". Science. 296 (5566): 336–339. Bibcode:2002Sci...296..336H. doi:10.1126/science.1069878. PMID 11951043.
  31. ^ Stokstad, Erik (12 April 2002). "Early Cowboys Herded Cattle in Africa". Science. 296 (5566): 236. doi:10.1126/science.296.5566.236a. PMID 11951007.
  32. ^ Mwai, Okeyo; Hanotte, Olivier; Kwon, Young-Jun; Cho, Seoae (July 2015). "- Invited Review - African Indigenous Cattle: Unique Genetic Resources in a Rapidly Changing World". Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences. 28 (7): 911–921. doi:10.5713/ajas.15.0002R. ISSN 1011-2367. PMC 4478499. PMID 26104394.
  33. ^ "Butler farms - Gyr Cattle".
  34. ^ "Breeds of livestock - Kankrej Cattle". 28 April 2021.
  35. ^ "Butler farms - Indu Brasil Cattle".
  36. ^ "Cattle Breeds-Brahman". 2024.
  37. ^ "Beef breeds of Pakistan".
  38. ^ "White Fulani cattle of West and Central Africa".
  39. ^ "Cholistani Cattle".
  40. ^ "Zebu Cattle of India and Pakistan" (PDF).
  41. ^ "Zebu Cattle of India and Pakistan" (PDF).
  42. ^ "Zebu Cattle of India and Pakistan" (PDF).
  43. ^ "Zebu Cattle of India and Pakistan" (PDF).
  44. ^ "Zebu Cattle of India and Pakistan" (PDF).
  45. ^ Bahbahani, Hussain; Salim, Bashir; Almathen, Faisal; Al Enezi, Fahad; Mwacharo, Joram M.; Hanotte, Olivier (2018). "Signatures of positive selection in African Butana and Kenana dairy zebu cattle". PLOS ONE. 13 (1): e0190446. Bibcode:2018PLoSO..1390446B. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0190446. PMC 5754058. PMID 29300786.
  46. ^ "Phenotypic Characterization of Sudan Zebu Cattle (Baggara Type)".
  47. ^ "Zebu Cattle of India and Pakistan" (PDF).
  48. ^ "Zebu Cattle of India and Pakistan" (PDF).
  49. ^ Chen, Yu-Chun; Cao, Hong-He (2001). "Diversity of Chinese yellow cattle breeds and their conservation". Biodiversity Science. 9 (3). Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences: 275–283. doi:10.17520/biods.2001042. ISSN 1005-0094. zebu sinesis note: PDF download
  50. ^ "Effect of Malaysian Zebu Cattle (Kedah-Kelantan) and their European Crosses on the Tick Biological Parameters Following Repeated Experimental Infestations".
  51. ^ "Distribution and production characteristics of Friesian crossbred cattle in Malaysia" (PDF).
  52. ^ Porter, V. (1991). "Hariana — India: Haryana, eastern Punjab". Cattle: A Handbook to the Breeds of the World. London: Helm. p. 245. ISBN 0-8160-2640-8.
  53. ^ Porter, V. (1991). "Rath — India: Alwar and eastern Rajasthan". Cattle: A Handbook to the Breeds of the World. London: Helm. p. 246. ISBN 0-8160-2640-8.
  54. ^ "Food Ark - Cattle Breeds - Pictures, More From National Geographic Magazine". Ngm.nationalgeographic.com. 2013-04-25. Archived from the original on June 25, 2011. Retrieved 2013-05-30.[unreliable source?]
  55. ^ Wilcox, R.W. (2004). "Zebu's Elbows: Cattle Breeding the Environment in Central Brazil, 1890-1960". In Brannstrom, Christian (ed.). Territories, Commodities and Knowledges: Latin American Environmental History in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries. Institute for the Study of the Americas. pp. 218–246. ISBN 978-1-900039-57-4.
  56. ^ "One of the Oldest Cattle Breeds". American Miniature Zebu Association. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  57. ^ Phaniraja, K.L.; Panchasara, H.H. (2009). "Indian draught animals power" (PDF). Veterinary World. 2 (10): 404–407.
  58. ^ a b Combeau-Mari, E. (2011). "Traditional Fighting Practices: The Root and Expression of Malagasy Culture". The International Journal of the History of Sport. 28 (12): 1566–1585. doi:10.1080/09523367.2011.592749.
  59. ^ Ratsimandresy, D.A.; Rakototiana, A. (2015). "Avulsion péno-scrotale par encornement de zebu" [Penile and scrotal avulsion caused by zebu horns]. The Pan African Medical Journal (in French). 20: 91. doi:10.11604/pamj.2015.20.91.5832. PMC 4506798. PMID 26213592.
  60. ^ "Cloning gives second chance for bull". BBC News. 3 September 1999.
  61. ^ a b c d Jha, D. N. (2002). The myth of the holy cow. London: Verso. p. 130. ISBN 978-1-85984-676-6.
  62. ^ "Mahabharata, Book 13-Anusasana Parva, Section LXXVI". Sacred-texts.com. Archived from the original on 12 October 2013. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
edit
 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bos taurus indicus.
Retrieved from "https://en.wiki.x.io/w/index.php?title=Zebu&oldid=1258366117"