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. 


6 comments:

  1. 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


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  2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s73fkOa9bOs

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  3. I've never even heard of scrub bulls, but I guess feral cattle are found on every human-inhabited continent and major island.

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    1. 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.

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  4. 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.

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  5. Semen from scrub bulls/feral cattle could be sent to different breed back projects.

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