B1: Domestication of cattle, micro-evolutionary consequences, related species, interspecies hybrids.

Question 1

Taxonomy:
Class
Order
Suborder
Family
Subfamily
Genus
species

Answer 1

kingdom: animalia
phylum: chordata (vertebrates)
Class Mammalia
Order ungulates
Suborder artiodactyla
Family Bovidae
Subfamily Bovinae (cattle)
Genus: Bos (true cattle) (are 5 more)
species: x6

Question 2

x5 genus + species of cattle

Answer 2

genus –> speceis:
1) syncerus –> caffers
2) Bubalus –> buffalos
3) Bison –> bisons
4) poephagus –> yak
5) Bibos –> bantengs, gaurs
6) bos –> cattle, zebu

Question 3

Where do domestic species originate from?

Answer 3

Bos primigenius – Aurochs (extinct)
Domesticated species originate from Aurochs:
▪ Bos primigenius taurus – Taurine (European) cattle
▪ Bos primigineius indicus – Zebu (Hump formed by hypertrophy of muscles)
▪ Bali cattle: Draught animal of Indonesia
▪ Gayal: Sacrificial animals in Burma, East India, Bangladesh

Question 4

what wild species of cattle exist?

Answer 4

• Bison: Only two existing species, B. bison (American bison) & B. bonasus (European bison).
• Buffalo (Genus Bubalus): Variable chromosome number (Asian water bufallo =48; river buffalo = 50).

aleutian wild cattle
chillingham cattle
enderby island cattle

Question 5

What interspecies hybrids may occur?

Answer 5

Bison (buffalo) x Yak = Yakalo

Question 6

When did domestication of cattle occur?
What is the micro-evolutionary consequence?

Answer 6

Domestication of aurochs began in SE Europe, S asia 6000BC.

buffalo: 3000 BC India.
Domestication caused such drastic physiological changes that modern domestic
cattle are now considered to be a separate species (Micro evolutionary consequence).

Question 7

What is a bull

Answer 7

Entire, adult male (proven fertile ! AI, breeding, listed bull)

Question 8

What is a cow

Answer 8

Adult female who has had at least one calf.
▪ In-calf/pregnant cow
▪ Nurse cow
▪ Lactating cow
▪ Dairy cows
▪ Dry cows

Question 9

what is a calf

Answer 9

Young cattle
▪ Bull calf
▪ Heifer calf
▪ Weaners (up to 1 yr)
▪ Yearlings
▪ Veal calve

Question 10

What is a heifer

Answer 10

Young female before her 1st calf
In-calf heifer – Young female pregnant with her 1st calf

Question 11

what is a steer?
What is a draft steer?

Answer 11

Castrated male (bullock)
Draft steer <4yrs = working steer (harness)

Question 12

what is a freemartin

Answer 12

Freemartin: Female animal who is the twin of a bull (infertile partial intersex).

ovaries do not develop
have some male characteristics

Question 13

what are the uses of cattle

Answer 13

• Beef & Dairy
• Draught
• Leather production (cattle hides)
• Sports – Rodeo, bullfighting (toro bravo)
• Religion – Sacrificial cows (Hindu)

Question 14

what is the chromosome number of cattle?

Answer 14

2n = 60

Question 15

Why are cattle important in modern industry?

Answer 15

• 70% of world population in „animal unit“ (1 A.U. = 1000 lbs live animal weight ~ 500 kg),
• covering 40% of human protein demand of animal origin,
• convenient transformation of feed-stuff energy (best in milk production: 45%),
• predominant proportion of feed-stuff is to consist of fibre-rich plants and of industrial by-products (in 90-30%),.
• all-round raw material for industrial processing (blood, bone, glands etc.)
• manure production (soil fertility),
• grazing (landscape),
• touristic pageant (draw),
• culture (care of folk tradition)

Question 16

what are the common utilisations of cattle?

Answer 16

Single purpose: milk or meat.
Dual purpose: milk-pointed (milk – meat) or meat-pointed (meat – milk).
Triple purpose: milk – meat –power (draught cattle) etc.

milk only: holstein - fresian
meat only; charolais

meat + milk: felckvieh

triple: simmental

draught: red sindhi

Question 17

milk: (GAT)
fat content
sugar content
protein content
lactation length

Answer 17

fat content: 3 - 4.5%
sugar content: 4.8 - 4.9%
protein content: 3.5 - 4%
lactation length: 240 - 340 days

Question 18

lactation production of industrial or concentrated milk producing breeds e.g. jersey cow (GAT)

amount
protein
fat
lactose

Answer 18

4000 - 6500kg / lactation
fat: 4.5 - 5.5% (higher than normal)
protein: 3.5 - 4% (normal)
lactose: 4.8 - 4.9% (normal)

Question 19

lactation production of dairy breeds producing milk for consumption e.g. holstein-freisian cow (GAT)

amount
fat
protein
lactose

Answer 19

7000 - 12000kg
fat: 3.3 - 3.7% (normal)
protein: 3 - 3.4% (lower)
lactose: 4.8 - 4.9% (normal)

Question 20

What is the milk yield of cattle? (GAT)

Answer 20

2000 - 13000 L/ lactation
depend on species…

Question 21

common lactation length of cattle? (GAT)

Answer 21

240- 340 days