A group of researchers from the University of Missouri (USA) has completed the genetic history of 134 breeds of cattle from around the world.
In the process they have discovered that the oldest domesticated variety in Africa is native to the Middle East , from the area known as the Fertile Crescent, the region where the first civilizations originated and which today occupy Iraq, Jordan, Syria and Israel.
Previously, geneticists and anthropologists thought that ancient Africans domesticated livestock native to their continent . Now, this research has altered previous assumptions.
The study’s lead author, Jared Decker, associate professor of animal science at the MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, says that the DNA of African cattle is similar to that of cattle first domesticated in the Middle East 10,000 years ago. , which would prove that the herds were brought to Africa by farmers who moved south.
There they mixed with indigenous wild varieties, such as Uros, and thus changed their genetic makeup enough to confuse experts.
In the research, published in PLOS Genetics , Decker and his team compare the similarities and differences between the genes of very different breeds of cattle to determine how they are related to each other. They found, for example, that in Indonesia there was a mixture of native cattle with varieties imported from India; in Italy and Spain there was a mixture of European and African cattle; and in Korea and Japan there was a hybridization of European and Asian species.
Researchers at the University of Missouri have also determined that American species, such as the longhorn Texas, are the result of a cross between Spanish cattle, brought by 16th century explorers, and imported varieties of zebu or Brahmin cattle from India. to the US from Brazil in the late 19th century.
Decker states that these findings reveal important information about the history of mankind: “The history of cattle genetics reflects human history in many ways. Anthropologists and geneticists suspected that domesticated African cattle were native, when in fact they were taken by population groups that moved thousands of years ago. “
Decker also states that livestock husbandry is important for farmers to optimize the meat and dairy production of their herds and that knowledge of the genetic history of livestock is key to finding solutions to livestock-related problems.
“Now that we know more about the genetic history of cattle around the world, we can better understand the diversity of species. By knowing existing varieties, we can improve breeds to breed more disease-resistant animals and increase production of milk and meat. “
