"Breeding-back" aims to restore or immitate extinct animals by selective breeding. This blog provides general information, the facts behind myths and news from various projects.
Monday, 22 November 2021
Australian scrub bulls and their aurochs-like morphology
There are feral cattle in Australia called scrub bulls. Those scrub bulls are noteworthy for their morphology. They are long-legged, slim but not too gracile. They are part zebu, and I think the zebu influence is responsible for their morphology, as primitive zebus are very short-trunked with long and slim legs. It is also possible that the fact that they live feral contributed to the morphology of the scrub bulls, but I do not know if they have been living feral for enough generations so that natural selection influenced their skeletal morphology.
Here you have a video of some interesting scrub bulls in Australia:
The morphology of scrub bulls, in my opinion, endorses the idea of using primitive zebus for achieving aurochs-like proportions in "breeding-back". An F2 of well-selected Taurus x (Taurus x primitive zebu) could be very interesting.
it could be interesting to use the Sibi Baghnari cattle. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sibi_bhagnari It is, maybe, the biggest cattle breed with chianina and maltese. It is short trunked and Pakistan cattle researchers say that this cattle has "extraordinary long limbs" http://researcherslinks.com/current-issues/Exclusive-Characteristics-Bhag-Nari-Cattle/20/3/1670/html
Not really Africa though. Cattle in this continent are usually considered a form of wealth, and as such, you wouldn't really find cattle anywhere that isn't owned by someone. Feral cattle, if they did exist, would eventually be rounded up.
I could just be unaware of any that actually do exist however.
Creo que es un error fijarnos en los ejemplares derivados de las razas anglosajonas, hiperseleccionadas, cuando en mi país existen descendientes del ganado tauro mucho menos seleccionados y que también viven en libertad, como es el caso de la betizu y todas las castas de ganado de lidia. Es interesante como ejemplo de dedomesticación y regresión, pero ya está, especialmente porque en en Australia no cuentan con depredadores, mientras que el ganado ibérico convive con el lobo y el oso pardo. Incluso los zorros y las aves rapaces predan sobre los terneros.
it could be interesting to use the Sibi Baghnari cattle.
ReplyDeletehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sibi_bhagnari
It is, maybe, the biggest cattle breed with chianina and maltese. It is short trunked and Pakistan cattle researchers say that this cattle has "extraordinary long limbs"
http://researcherslinks.com/current-issues/Exclusive-Characteristics-Bhag-Nari-Cattle/20/3/1670/html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s73fkOa9bOs
ReplyDeleteI've never even heard of scrub bulls, but I guess feral cattle are found on every human-inhabited continent and major island.
ReplyDeleteNot really Africa though. Cattle in this continent are usually considered a form of wealth, and as such, you wouldn't really find cattle anywhere that isn't owned by someone. Feral cattle, if they did exist, would eventually be rounded up.
DeleteI could just be unaware of any that actually do exist however.
Creo que es un error fijarnos en los ejemplares derivados de las razas anglosajonas, hiperseleccionadas, cuando en mi país existen descendientes del ganado tauro mucho menos seleccionados y que también viven en libertad, como es el caso de la betizu y todas las castas de ganado de lidia. Es interesante como ejemplo de dedomesticación y regresión, pero ya está, especialmente porque en en Australia no cuentan con depredadores, mientras que el ganado ibérico convive con el lobo y el oso pardo. Incluso los zorros y las aves rapaces predan sobre los terneros.
ReplyDeleteSemen from scrub bulls/feral cattle could be sent to different breed back projects.
ReplyDelete