Zebu - Spread and Hybridisation

Spread and Hybridisation

Zebu were imported to Africa over many hundreds of years, and interbred with taurine cattle there. Genetic analysis of African cattle has found higher concentrations of zebu genes all along the east coast of Africa, with especially pure cattle on the island of Madagascar, implying that the method of dispersal was cattle transported by ship. Partial resistance to rinderpest led to another increase in the frequency of zebu in Africa.

Zebu were imported into Brazil in the early twentieth century and crossbred with Charolais cattle, a European taurine breed. The resulting breed, 63% Charolais and 37% Zebu, is called the Chanchim. It has a better meat quality than the zebu as well as better heat resistance than European cattle. The zebu breeds used were primarily Indo-Brazilian with some Nelore and Guzerat.

Many breeds are complex mixtures of the zebu and various taurine types, and some also have yak, gaur or banteng genetics. While zebu are the common cattle in much of Asia, the cattle of Japan, Korea and Mongolia are taurine (although possibly domesticated separately from the other taurine cattle originating from Europe and Africa). Other species of cattle domesticated in parts of Asia include yak, gaur, banteng and water buffalo.

Bulls from the Brahman breed of zebu are often used for bullriding in rodeos.

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

Han-u is a traditional Korean breed, hybrid of Bos primigenius taurus and zebus.