View source for Zebu

{{Short description|South Asian domestic cattle}}
{{Other uses|Zebu (disambiguation)}}
{{Subspeciesbox
| image = Miniature Zebu.jpg
| genus = Bos
| subspecies = 
| authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|1758]]<ref name=ASM21/>
| species = indicus
| classification_status = Disputed,<ref>{{cite journal |author1=International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature |title=Opinion 75. Twenty-Seven Generic Names of Protozoa, Vermes, Pisces, Reptilia and Mammalia Included in the Official List of Zoological Names |journal=[[Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections]] |date=1922 |volume=73 |issue=1 |pages=35–37 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/8910949}}</ref> see {{slink ||Taxonomy and name}}
| synonyms = {{Genus list
 | Bos indicus |Linnaeus, 1758
 | ''[[Bos taurus]]'' |Linnaeus, 175 (heterotypic)
 | Bos domesticus |[[Johann Christian Polycarp Erxleben|Erxleben]], 1777 (heterotypic) 
 | Bos zebu |[[Pieter Boddaert|Boddaert]], 1785
 | ''[[Bos longifrons]]'' |[[Richard Owen (geologist)|R. Owen]], 1844 (heterotypic) 
 | incomplete = yes
}}
| synonyms_ref = <ref name=ASM21/><ref name=Linnaeus>{{Cite book |author=Linnaeus, C. |title=Systema naturae per regna tria naturae: secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis |location=Holmiae |publisher=Laurentii Salvii |date=1758 |page=71 |chapter=''Bos indicus'' |language=la |volume=1 |edition=Tenth reformed |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/mobot31753000798865/page/72/mode/1up}}</ref>
}}

The '''zebu''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|z|iː|b|(|j|)|uː|,_|ˈ|z|eː|b|uː}}; '''''Bos indicus'''''<ref name="ACIR Community">{{Cite web |title=ACIR Community |url=https://acir.aphis.usda.gov/s/cird-taxon/a0ut0000000rEyWAAU/bos-indicus |access-date=2024-07-04 |website=acir.aphis.usda.gov}}</ref>), sometimes known in the plural as '''indicine cattle''', '''Camel cow''' or '''humped cattle''', is a [[species]] or [[subspecies]] of [[Bos taurus|domestic cattle]] originating in [[South Asia]].<ref name=Chen10>{{Cite journal|last1=Chen |first1=S. |last2=Lin |first2=B.-Z. |last3=Baig |first3=M. |last4=Mitra |first4=B. |last5=Lopes |first5=R. J. |last6=Santos |first6=A. M. |last7=Magee |first7=D. A. |last8=Azevedo |first8=M. |last9=Tarroso |first9=P. |last10=Sasazaki |first10=S. |last11=Ostrowski |first11=S. |date=2010 |title=Zebu Cattle Are an Exclusive Legacy of the South Asia Neolithic |journal=Molecular Biology and Evolution |volume=27|issue=1 |pages=1–6 |doi=10.1093/molbev/msp213 |pmid=19770222 |doi-access=free}}</ref> Zebu, like many [[Sanga cattle]] breeds, differs from taurine cattle by a fatty hump on their shoulders, a large [[dewlap]], and sometimes drooping ears. They are well adapted to withstanding [[Tropical climate|high temperatures]] and are farmed throughout the [[tropics]].

Zebu are used as [[draught animal|draught]] and [[riding animal]]s, [[dairy cattle]] and [[beef cattle]], as well as for byproducts such as [[Hide (skin)|hide]]s and [[Feces|dung]] for [[fuel]] and [[manure]]. Some small breeds such as Nadudana also known as the [[Miniature Zebu|miniature zebu]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-05-23 |title=Miniature Zebu Cattle - Oklahoma State University |url=https://breeds.okstate.edu/cattle/miniature-zebu-cattle.html |access-date=2024-07-12 |website=breeds.okstate.edu |language=en}}</ref> are also kept as [[pet]]s.<ref>{{cite book |doi=10.1016/B978-0-08-100596-5.00619-3 |chapter=Bos indicus Breeds and Bos indicus × Bos taurus Crosses |title=Encyclopedia of Dairy Sciences |date=2019 |last1=Madalena |first1=F.E. |last2=Toledo-Alvarado |first2=H. |last3=Cala-Moreno |first3=N. |pages=30–47 |isbn=978-0-12-818767-8 }}</ref>

In some regions, zebu have significant [[Cattle in religion#In Indian religions|religious meaning]].

==Taxonomy==
Both [[scientific name]]s ''Bos taurus'' and ''Bos indicus'' were introduced by [[Carl Linnaeus]] in 1758, with the latter used to [[Species description|describe]] humped cattle in [[China proper|China]].<ref name=Linnaeus/>

The zebu was classified as a distinct [[species]] by [[Juliet Clutton-Brock]] in 1999,<ref name=Clutton-Brock1999>{{Cite book |title=A Natural History of Domesticated Mammals |last=Clutton-Brock |first=J. |author-link=Juliet Clutton-Brock |publisher=Cambridge University Press |location=Cambridge, UK |date=1999 |isbn=978-0-521-63495-3 |oclc=39786571 |orig-year=1987 |edition=Second |page=85 |chapter=Asiatic cattle |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cgL-EbbB8a0C&pg=PA85}}</ref> but as a [[subspecies]] of the domestic [[cattle]], ''Bos taurus indicus'', by both Clutton-Brock and [[Colin Groves]] in 2004<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Gentry |first1=Anthea |last2=Clutton-Brock |first2=Juliet |last3=Groves |first3=Colin P |title=The naming of wild animal species and their domestic derivatives |journal=Journal of Archaeological Science |date=May 2004 |volume=31 |issue=5 |pages=645–651 |doi=10.1016/j.jas.2003.10.006 |bibcode=2004JArSc..31..645G }}</ref> and by [[Peter Grubb (zoologist)|Peter Grubb]] in 2005.<ref name=msw3>{{MSW3 Artiodactyla |id=14200687 |pages=645–646 |heading=Subspecies ''Bos taurus indicus''}}</ref> In 2011, Groves and Grubb classified it as a distinct species again.<ref>{{cite book |first1=C. |last1=Groves |first2=P. |last2=Grubb |year=2011 |title=Ungulate taxonomy |publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press |location=Baltimore |pages=8–9 |chapter=Domestication |isbn=978-1-4214-0093-8 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=v3uZtA1ZpTAC&pg=PA9}}</ref>{{failed verification|date=September 2023}}

The [[American Society of Mammalogists]] considers it part of the species ''Bos taurus'' in analogy to [[Sanga cattle]] (''Bos taurus africanus'' {{small|[[Robert Kerr (writer)|Kerr]],&nbsp;1792}}).<ref name=ASM21>{{Cite journal |author=American Society of Mammalogists |author-link=American Society of Mammalogists |title=''Bos taurus'' |url=https://www.mammaldiversity.org/explore.html#genus=Bos&species=taurus&id=1006267 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230501164649/https://www.mammaldiversity.org/explore.html#genus=Bos&species=taurus&id=1006267 |url-status=live |archive-date=May 1, 2023 |journal=ASM Mammal Diversity Database |date=2021}}</ref> The [[International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature]] has not yet published a ruling on the classification of domestic derivatives and no scientific body advocates the abolition of the [[Species concept#Mayr's biological species concept|biological species concept]] for domestic animals.

Currently (2024s), it is not correct to describe Zebu animals as '''''Bos taurus indicus''''', but rather as '''''Bos indicus''''',<ref name="ACIR Community"/> because they are a different species from ''Bos taurus''. The extinct wild auroch (''Bos primigenius'') population diverged into two distinct genetic strains: the humpless ''Bos taurus'' (taurine) and the humped ''Bos indicus'' (indicine or zebu).<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Utsunomiya |first1=Y. T. |last2=Milanesi |first2=M. |last3=Fortes |first3=M. R. S. |last4=Porto-Neto |first4=L. R. |last5=Utsunomiya |first5=A. T. H. |last6=Silva |first6=M. V. G. B. |last7=Garcia |first7=J. F. |last8=Ajmone-Marsan |first8=P. |date=December 2019 |title=Genomic clues of the evolutionary history of Bos indicus cattle |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/age.12836 |journal=Animal Genetics |language=en |volume=50 |issue=6 |pages=557–568 |doi=10.1111/age.12836 |pmid=31475748 |issn=0268-9146}}</ref>

==Origin==
[[File:GODL Rampurva bull in profile.jpg|thumb|A [[Pillars of Ashoka|Pillar of Ashoka]], dating to the 3rd century BCE, depicting a zebu]]
[[File:Coin of Azes II LACMA M.84.110.8 (2 of 2).jpg|thumb|Zebu pictured on a coin of the [[Indo-Scythian]] king [[Azes II]], late first century BCE]]
Zebu cattle were found to derive from the [[Indian aurochs|Indian form]] of [[Aurochs#Taxonomy and evolution|aurochs]] and have first been [[domesticate]]d between 7,000 and 6,000 [[YBP]] at [[Mehrgarh]], present-day [[Pakistan]], by people linked to or coming from [[Mesopotamia]].<ref name="Vuure">{{cite book |author=Van Vuure, C. |year=2005 |title=Retracing the Aurochs: History, Morphology and Ecology of an Extinct Wild Ox |publisher=Pensoft Publishers |location=Sofia |isbn=978-954-642-235-4}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Bradley |first1=D. G. |last2=MacHugh |first2=D. E. |last3=Cunningham |first3=P. |last4=Loftus |first4=R. T. |date=1996 |title=Mitochondrial diversity and the origins of African and European cattle |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |volume=93 |issue=10 |pages=5131–5135 |doi=10.1073/pnas.93.10.5131 |pmid=8643540 |pmc=39419 |bibcode=1996PNAS...93.5131B |doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Pérez-Pardal |first1=L. |last2=Sánchez-Gracia |first2=A. |last3=Álvarez |first3=I. |last4=Traoré |first4=A. |last5=Ferraz |first5=J. B. S. |last6=Fernández |first6=I. |last7=Costa |first7=V. |last8=Chen |first8=S. |last9=Tapio |first9=M. |last10=Cantet |first10=R. J. C. |last11=Patel |first11=A. |last12=Meadow |first12=R. H. |last13=Marshall |first13=F. B. |last14=Beja-Pereira |first14=A. |last15=Goyache |first15=F. |date=2018 |title=Legacies of domestication, trade and herder mobility shape extant male zebu cattle diversity in South Asia and Africa |journal=Scientific Reports |volume=8 |issue=1 |page=18027 |doi=10.1038/s41598-018-36444-7 |pmid=30575786 |pmc=6303292 |bibcode=2018NatSR...818027P}}</ref><ref name=Gangal_14>{{cite journal |last1=Gangal |first1=K. |last2=Sarson |first2=G. R. |last3=Shukurov |first3=A. |title=The Near-Eastern Roots of the Neolithic in South Asia |journal=PLOS ONE |date=2014 |volume=9 |issue=5 |pages=e95714 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0095714 |pmid=24806472 |pmc=4012948 |bibcode=2014PLoSO...995714G |doi-access=free}}</ref>

Its wild ancestor, the Indian aurochs, [[Holocene extinction#Historic extinction|became extinct]] during the [[Indus Valley civilisation]] likely due to habitat loss, caused by expanding pastoralism and interbreeding with domestic zebu.<ref name=Chen10/><ref name=IWH2>{{cite book |author=Rangarajan, M. |year=2001 |title=India's Wildlife History |page=4 |location=[[Delhi]], India |publisher=Permanent Black |isbn=978-81-7824-140-1}}</ref> Its latest remains ever found were dated to 3,800 YBP, making it the first of the three [[Aurochs#Taxonomy and evolution|aurochs subspecies]] to die out.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Turvey |first1=S. T. |last2=Sathe |first2=V. |last3=Crees |first3=J. J. |last4=Jukar |first4=A. M. |last5=Chakraborty |first5=P. |last6=Lister |first6=A. M. |title=Late Quaternary megafaunal extinctions in India: How much do we know? |journal=Quaternary Science Reviews |date=2021 |volume=252 |pages=106740 |doi=10.1016/j.quascirev.2020.106740 |bibcode=2021QSRv..25206740T |s2cid=234265221 |url=https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10116065/12/Turvey_India_megafauna_paper_highlights.pdf }}</ref><ref name="Chen et al., 2010">{{cite journal |last1=Chen |first1=S. |last2=Lin |first2=B.-Z. |last3=Baig |first3=M. |last4=Mitra |first4=B. |last5=Lopes |first5=R. J. |last6=Santos |first6=A. M. |last7=Magee |first7=D. A. |last8=Azevedo |first8=M. |last9=Tarroso |first9=P. |last10=Sasazaki |first10=S. |last11=Ostrowski |first11=S. |last12=Mahgoub |first12=O. |last13=Chaudhuri |first13=T. K. |last14=Zhang |first14=Y.-p. |last15=Costa |first15=V. |last16=Royo |first16=L. J. |last17=Goyache |first17=F. |last18=Luikart |first18=G. |last19=Boivin |first19=N. |last20=Fuller |first20=D. Q. |last21=Mannen |first21=H. |last22=Bradley |first22=D. G. |last23=Beja-Pereira |first23=A. |title=Zebu Cattle Are an Exclusive Legacy of the South Asia Neolithic |journal=Molecular Biology and Evolution |date=January 2010 |volume=27 |issue=1 |pages=1–6 |doi=10.1093/molbev/msp213 |pmid=19770222 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

Archaeological evidence including depictions on pottery and rocks suggests that humped cattle likely imported from the [[Ancient Near East|Near East]] was present in [[Middle Kingdom of Egypt|Egypt]] around 4,000 [[Before Present|YBP]]. Its first appearance in the [[Subsahara]] is dated to after 700 AD and it was introduced to the [[Horn of Africa]] around 1000.<ref>{{Cite journal |jstor=2743556 |title=Rethinking the Role of ''Bos indicus'' in Sub-Sahara Africa |last=Marshall, F. |date=1989 |journal=[[Current Anthropology]] |volume=30 |issue=2 |pages=235–240 |doi=10.1086/203737 |s2cid=143063029}}</ref>

Phylogenetic analysis revealed that all the zebu [[Y chromosome]] [[haplotype]] groups are found in three different lineages: Y3A, the most predominant and cosmopolitan lineage; Y3B, only observed in West Africa; and Y3C, predominant in south and northeast India.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Pérez-Pardal |first1=Lucía |last2=Sánchez-Gracia |first2=Alejandro |last3=Álvarez |first3=Isabel |last4=Traoré |first4=Amadou |last5=Ferraz |first5=J. Bento S. |last6=Fernández |first6=Iván |last7=Costa |first7=Vânia |last8=Chen |first8=Shanyuan |last9=Tapio |first9=Miika |last10=Cantet |first10=Rodolfo J. C. |last11=Patel |first11=Ajita |last12=Meadow |first12=Richard H. |last13=Marshall |first13=Fiona B. |last14=Beja-Pereira |first14=Albano |last15=Goyache |first15=Félix |title=Legacies of domestication, trade and herder mobility shape extant male zebu cattle diversity in South Asia and Africa |journal=Scientific Reports |date=21 December 2018 |volume=8 |issue=1 |page=18027 |doi=10.1038/s41598-018-36444-7 |pmid=30575786 |pmc=6303292 |bibcode=2018NatSR...818027P }}</ref>

==Characteristics==
[[File:Female zebu cattle.JPG|thumbnail|Female zebu in Sri Lanka]]
Zebu, as well as many Sanga cattle, have humps on the shoulders, large dewlaps and droopy ears.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.ifizci.com/zebu-information-about-the-humped-cattle/|publisher=IFIZCI |access-date=2007-09-08|title=Definition: Zebu}}</ref>

Compared to taurine cattle, the zebu is well adapted to the hot [[tropical savanna climate]] and [[Semi-arid climate#Hot semi-arid climates|steppe]] environments. These adaptations result in higher tolerance for drought, heat and sunlight exposure.<ref name=Mukasa-Mugerwa>{{cite book |last1=Mukasa-Mugerwa |first1=E. |title=A Review of a Reproductive Performance of Female ''Bos Indicus'' (zebu) Cattle |date=1989 |publisher=ILRI (aka ILCA and ILRAD) |isbn=978-92-9053-099-2 |hdl=10568/4217 |hdl-access=free }}{{page needed|date=July 2024}}</ref>

== Behaviour and ecology==
Studies on the natural weaning of zebu cattle have shown that cows wean their calves over a 2-week period, but after that, continue to show strong affiliatory behavior with their offspring and preferentially choose them for grooming and as grazing partners for at least 4–5 years.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Reinhardt |first1=V. |last2=Reinhardt|first2=A. |year=1981 |title=Cohesive relationships in a cattle herd (''Bos indicus'') |journal=Behaviour |volume=77 |issue=3 |pages=121–150 |doi=10.1163/156853981X00194 }}</ref>

===Reproduction===
Zebu are generally mature enough to give birth when they are 29 months old. This is based on the development of their bodies to withstand the strain of carrying the calf and lactation. Early reproduction can place too much stress on the body and possibly shorten lifespans. The gestation period averages 285 days, but varies depending on the age and nutrition of the mother. The sex of the calf may also affect the carrying time, as male calves are carried for a longer period than females. Location, breed, body weight, and season affect the overall health of the animal and in return may also affect the gestation period.<ref name=Mukasa-Mugerwa/>

=== Health and diseases ===
The zebu is susceptible to [[nagana]] as it does not exhibit [[trypanotolerance]].<ref name=MacHugh-et-al-1997>{{cite journal |last1=MacHugh |first1=D.E. |title=Microsatellite DNA Variation and the evolution, domestication and phylogeography of Taurine and Zebu Cattle (''Bos taurus'' and ''Bos indicus'') |journal=[[Genetics (journal)|Genetics]] |volume=146 |issue=3 |year=1997 |pages=1071–1086 |doi=10.1093/genetics/146.3.1071 |pmid=9215909 |pmc=1208036 }}</ref><ref name=Makina-et-al-2016>{{cite journal |last1=Makina |first1=S.O. |last2=Whitacre |first2=L.K. |last3=Decker |first3=J.E. |last4=Taylor |first4=J.F. |last5=MacNeil |first5=M.D. | last6=Scholtz |first6=M.M. |last7=Van Marle-Köster |first7=E. |last8=Muchadeyi |first8=F.C. |last9=Makgahlela |first9=M.L. |last10=Maiwashe |first10=A. |title=Insight into the genetic composition of South African Sanga cattle using SNP data from cattle breeds worldwide |journal=[[Genetics Selection Evolution]] |volume=48 |issue=1 |date=2016 |page=88 |doi=10.1186/s12711-016-0266-1 |pmid=27846793 |pmc=5111355 |doi-access=free }}</ref>
It is said to be resilient to parasites.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Utsunomiya, Y.T. |author2=Milanesi, M. |author3=Fortes, M.R.S. |author4=Porto-Neto, L.R. |author5=Utsunomiya, A.T.H. |author6=Silva, M.V.G.B. |author7=Garcia, J.F. |author8=Ajmone-Marsan, P. |year=2019 |title=Genomic clues of the evolutionary history of ''Bos indicus'' cattle |journal=Animal Genetics |volume=50 |issue=6 |pages=557–568 |doi-access=free |doi=10.1111/age.12836|pmid=31475748 }}</ref>

==Breeds and hybrids==
Zebu are very common in much of Asia, including Pakistan, India, [[Nepal]], [[Bangladesh]] and China. In Asia, taurine cattle are mainly found in the northern regions such as [[Japan]], [[Korea]], northern China and [[Mongolia]]. In China, taurine cattle are most common in northern breeds, zebu more common in southern breeds, with hybrids in between.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Cai |first1=Dawei |last2=Sun |first2=Yang |last3=Tang |first3=Zhuowei |last4=Hu |first4=Songmei |last5=Li |first5=Wenying |last6=Zhao |first6=Xingbo |last7=Xiang |first7=Hai |last8=Zhou |first8=Hui |title=The origins of Chinese domestic cattle as revealed by ancient DNA analysis |journal=Journal of Archaeological Science |date=January 2014 |volume=41 |pages=423–434 |doi=10.1016/j.jas.2013.09.003 |bibcode=2014JArSc..41..423C }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Komosińska |first1=Halina |last2=Podsiadło |first2=Elżbieta |title=Ssaki kopytne: przewodnik |trans-title=Hoofed mammals: a guide |date=2002 |publisher=Wydaw. Naukowe PWN |isbn=978-83-01-13806-6 |location=Warszawa |language=pl |oclc=749423644 }}{{page needed|date=July 2024}}</ref>

[[File:Zébus de Madagascar 02.jpg|thumb|Zebu market in [[Madagascar]]]]

Geneticists at the [[International Livestock Research Institute |International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI)]] in Nairobi, Kenya and in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia discovered that cattle had been domesticated in Africa independently of domestication in the Near East. They concluded that the southern African cattle populations derive originally from East Africa rather than from a southbound migration of taurine cattle.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Hanotte |first1=Olivier |last2=Bradley |first2=Daniel G. |last3=Ochieng |first3=Joel W. |last4=Verjee |first4=Yasmin |last5=Hill |first5=Emmeline W. |last6=Rege |first6=J. Edward O. |title=African Pastoralism: Genetic Imprints of Origins and Migrations |journal=Science |date=12 April 2002 |volume=296 |issue=5566 |pages=336–339 |doi=10.1126/science.1069878 |pmid=11951043 |bibcode=2002Sci...296..336H }}</ref> The results are inconclusive as to whether domestication occurred first in Africa or the Near East.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Stokstad |first1=Erik |title=Early Cowboys Herded Cattle in Africa |journal=Science |date=12 April 2002 |volume=296 |issue=5566 |pages=236 |doi=10.1126/science.296.5566.236a |pmid=11951007 }}</ref>

[[Sanga cattle]] breeds is considered to  have originated from hybridization of zebu with taurine cattle <ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Mwai |first1=Okeyo |last2=Hanotte |first2=Olivier |last3=Kwon |first3=Young-Jun |last4=Cho |first4=Seoae |date=July 2015 |title=- Invited Review - African Indigenous Cattle: Unique Genetic Resources in a Rapidly Changing World |journal=Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences |language=English |volume=28 |issue=7 |pages=911–921 |doi=10.5713/ajas.15.0002R |issn=1011-2367 |pmc=4478499 |pmid=26104394}}</ref> leading to the [[Afrikaner cattle|Afrikaner]], [[Red Fulani cattle|Red Fulani]], [[Ankole (cattle)|Ankole]], [[Boran cattle|Boran]] and [[Sanga cattle#Breeds of Sanga cattle|many other]] breeds.

Some 75 breeds of zebu are known, split about evenly between African and Indian breeds.

{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
<!-- |+ class="nowrap" --> | List of widely distributed zebu breeds
|-
| {{ulist |[[Gyr cattle|Gyr]]<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://butlerfarms.us/gyr-cattle/ |title = Butler farms - Gyr Cattle}}</ref> |[[Kankrej cattle and Guzerat cattle|Kankrej and Guzerat]]<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://breeds.okstate.edu/cattle/kankrej-cattle.html |title = Breeds of livestock - Kankrej Cattle| date=28 April 2021 }}</ref> |[[Indo-Brazilian cattle|Indo-Brazilian]]<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://butlerfarms.us/indu-brasil-cattle/|title = Butler farms - Indu Brasil Cattle}}</ref> |[[Brahman (cattle)|Brahman]]<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/animals-and-livestock/beef-cattle/breeding/beef-cattle-breeds/brahman |title = Cattle Breeds-Brahman| date=2024 }}</ref> |[[Sibi bhagnari|Sibi Bhagnari]]<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/338790137|title = Beef breeds of Pakistan}}</ref> |[[White Nukra]]<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/232016637 |title = White Fulani cattle of West and Central Africa}}</ref> |[[Cholistani (cattle)|Cholistani]]<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.pakdairyinfo.com/cholistani.htm |title = Cholistani Cattle}}</ref>|[[Dhanni (cattle)|Dhanni]]<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.fao.org/4/an469e/an469e.pdf |title = Zebu Cattle of India and Pakistan}}</ref>|[[Lohani cattle|Lohani]]<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.fao.org/4/an469e/an469e.pdf |title = Zebu Cattle of India and Pakistan}}</ref>|[[Nelore]] |[[Ongole cattle|Ongole]]<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.fao.org/4/an469e/an469e.pdf  |title = Zebu Cattle of India and Pakistan}}</ref> |[[Sahiwal cattle|Sahiwal]]<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.fao.org/4/an469e/an469e.pdf  |title = Zebu Cattle of India and Pakistan}}</ref>|[[Red Sindhi cattle|Red Sindhi]]<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.fao.org/4/an469e/an469e.pdf |title = Zebu Cattle of India and Pakistan}}</ref>|[[Butana and Kenana cattle|Butana and Kenana]]<ref>{{Cite journal |title = Signatures of positive selection in African Butana and Kenana dairy zebu cattle| date=2018 | doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0190446 | doi-access=free | last1=Bahbahani | first1=Hussain | last2=Salim | first2=Bashir | last3=Almathen | first3=Faisal | last4=Al Enezi | first4=Fahad | last5=Mwacharo | first5=Joram M. | last6=Hanotte | first6=Olivier | journal=PLOS ONE | volume=13 | issue=1 | pages=e0190446 | pmid=29300786 | pmc=5754058 | bibcode=2018PLoSO..1390446B }}</ref>|[[Baggara cattle|Baggara]]<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/301540790|title = Phenotypic Characterization of Sudan Zebu Cattle (Baggara Type)}}</ref> |[[Tharparkar cattle|Tharparkar]]<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.fao.org/4/an469e/an469e.pdf |title = Zebu Cattle of India and Pakistan}}</ref>|[[Kangayam cattle|Kangayam]]<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.fao.org/4/an469e/an469e.pdf |title = Zebu Cattle of India and Pakistan}}</ref> |[[Southern Yellow cattle|Southern Yellow]]<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Chen |first1= Yu-Chun |last2=Cao |first2=Hong-He |url=https://www.biodiversity-science.net/EN/article/downloadArticleFile.do?attachType=PDF&id=7693|title=Diversity of Chinese yellow cattle breeds and their conservation |journal=Biodiversity Science |year=2001 |volume=9 |issue=3 |pages=275–283 |publisher=[[Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences]] |doi= 10.17520/biods.2001042 |issn=1005-0094 |quote=zebu sinesis }} note: PDF download</ref>|[[Kedah-Kelantan|Kedah Kelantan]]<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/26591189|title = Effect of Malaysian Zebu Cattle (Kedah-Kelantan) and their European Crosses on the Tick Biological Parameters Following Repeated Experimental Infestations}}</ref>|[[Local Indian Dairy (LID)|Local Indian Diary]]<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://jtafs.mardi.gov.my/jtafs/17-1/Distribution%20and%20production.pdf|title = Distribution and production characteristics of Friesian crossbred cattle in Malaysia}}</ref> 
|-
|}

[[File:Hariana_02.JPG|thumbnail|[[Haryanvi cattle|Hariana breed]] of zebu type cattle in north [[India]]]]
Other breeds of zebu are quite local, like the [[Haryanvi cattle|Hariana]] from [[Haryana]], [[Punjab, India|Punjab]]<ref>{{cite book |author=Porter, V. |year=1991 |title=Cattle: A Handbook to the Breeds of the World |location=London |publisher=Helm |chapter=Hariana — India: Haryana, eastern Punjab |page=245 |chapter-url= |isbn=0-8160-2640-8}}</ref> or the [[Rathi cattle|Rath]] from [[Alwar district]], [[Rajasthan]].<ref>{{cite book |author=Porter, V. |year=1991 |title=Cattle: A Handbook to the Breeds of the World |location=London |publisher=Helm |chapter=Rath — India: Alwar and eastern Rajasthan |page=246 |isbn=0-8160-2640-8}}</ref>

Zebu, which are adapted to [[tropics|high temperatures]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/07/food-ark/cattle-breeds#/1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110625102109/http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/07/food-ark/cattle-breeds#/1 |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 25, 2011 |title=Food Ark - Cattle Breeds - Pictures, More From National Geographic Magazine |publisher=Ngm.nationalgeographic.com |date=2013-04-25 |access-date=2013-05-30}}{{unreliable source?|date=July 2024}}</ref> were imported into [[Brazil]] in the early 20th century. Their importation marked a change in cattle ranching in Brazil as they were considered "ecological" since {{clarify |text=they could graze on natural grasses |pre-text=Is there a [[ruminant]] that can't?|date=September 2023}} and their meat was lean and without chemical residues.{{undefined|date=September 2023}}<ref>{{cite book |last1=Wilcox |first1=R.W. |chapter=Zebu's Elbows: Cattle Breeding the Environment in Central Brazil, 1890-1960 |pages=218–246 |editor1-last=Brannstrom |editor1-first=Christian |title=Territories, Commodities and Knowledges: Latin American Environmental History in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries |date=2004 |publisher=Institute for the Study of the Americas |isbn=978-1-900039-57-4 }}</ref>

In the early 20th century in Brazil, Zebu were crossbred with [[Charolais cattle]], a European taurine breed. The resulting breed, 63% Charolais and 37% zebu, is called the [[Canchim]]. It has a better meat quality than the zebu and better heat resistance than European cattle. The zebu breeds used were primarily Indo-Brazilian with some Nelore and Guzerat. Another Charolais cross-breed with Brahmans is called [[Australian Charbray]] and is recognised as a breed in some countries.

{{Unreferenced section|date=December 2021}}
From the 1960s onwards, [[Nelore]] which is an off breed of [[Ongole Cattle]] became the primary breed of [[cattle]] in Brazil because of its hardiness, heat-resistance, and because it thrives on poor-quality forage and breeds easily, with the calves rarely requiring human intervention to survive. Currently more than 80% of [[beef cattle]] in Brazil (approximately 167,000,000 animals) are either purebred or hybrid [[Ongole Cattle]] which is originated from Ongle region of Andhra Pradesh.

==Uses==
[[File:India.Mumbai.04.jpg|thumb|Draft zebu pulling a cart in [[Mumbai]], India]]
[[File:A day in the life of a rural 03.jpg|thumb|A villager with a decorated bull during Pongal festival]]
Zebu are used as [[draught animal|draught]] and [[riding animal]]s, [[beef cattle]],  [[dairy cattle]], as well as for byproducts such as hides, [[Feces|dung]] for [[fuel]] and [[manure]], and horn for knife handles and the like. Zebu, mostly [[Miniature Zebu|miniature zebu]], are kept as [[pet]]s.<ref>{{cite web |title=One of the Oldest Cattle Breeds |url=https://www.amzaonline.org/one-of-the-oldest-cattle-breeds/ |website=American Miniature Zebu Association |access-date=2 December 2019}}</ref> In India, the number of draft cattle in 1998 was estimated at 65.7 million head.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Phaniraja |first1=K.L. |last2=Panchasara |first2=H.H. |year=2009 |title=Indian draught animals power |journal=Veterinary World |issue=10 |volume=2 |pages=404–407 |url=https://www.veterinaryworld.org/Vol.2/October/Indian%20Draught%20Animals%20Power.pdf }}</ref>
Zebu cows commonly have low production of milk. They do not produce milk until maturation later in their lives and do not produce much. When zebus are crossed with taurine cattle, milk production generally increases.<ref name=Mukasa-Mugerwa/>

In [[Madagascar]], zebu outnumber people, and there are an "astonishing" 6,813 [[Malagasy language|Malagasy]] proverbs, common sayings, and expressions referring to zebu in parlance on the island.<ref name=Combeau-Mari2011>{{Cite journal |last=Combeau-Mari |first=E. |date=2011 |title=Traditional Fighting Practices: The Root and Expression of Malagasy Culture |journal=The International Journal of the History of Sport |volume=28 |issue=12 |pages=1566–1585 |doi=10.1080/09523367.2011.592749 }}</ref> Zebu are wrestled by young men in a competitive ritual of courtship called ''[[tolon'omby]]''.<ref name=Combeau-Mari2011/><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Ratsimandresy |first1=D.A. |last2=Rakototiana |first2=A. |date=2015 |title=Avulsion péno-scrotale par encornement de zebu |trans-title=Penile and scrotal avulsion caused by zebu horns |language=fr |journal=The Pan African Medical Journal |volume=20 |pages=91 |doi=10.11604/pamj.2015.20.91.5832 |pmc=4506798 |pmid=26213592 }}</ref>

Within the Indian state of [[Tamil Nadu]], zebu are used for [[jallikattu]].

In 1999, researchers at [[Texas A&M University]] successfully [[Cloning|cloned]] a zebu.<ref>{{cite news |title=Cloning gives second chance for bull |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/437391.stm |work=BBC News |date=3 September 1999 }}</ref>

=== Hindu tradition ===
{{further|Cattle slaughter in India}}
Zebu are venerated in [[Hinduism]] of India. In the [[historical Vedic religion]] they were a symbol of plenty.<ref name=Jha2002>{{Cite book|last=Jha|first=D. N.|title=The myth of the holy cow |date=2002 |publisher=Verso |isbn=978-1-85984-676-6 |location=London|page=130}}</ref>{{rp|130}} In later times they gradually acquired their present status. According to the ''[[Mahabharata]]'', they are to be treated with the same respect 'as one's mother'.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mahabharata, Book 13-Anusasana Parva, Section LXXVI|url=http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m13/m13b041.htm|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131012075852/http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m13/m13b041.htm|archive-date=12 October 2013 |access-date=15 October 2013|publisher=Sacred-texts.com}}</ref> In the middle of the first millennium, the consumption of beef began to be disfavoured by lawgivers.<ref name=Jha2002/>{{rp|144}}

Milk and milk products were used in Vedic rituals.<ref name=Jha2002/>{{rp|130}} In the postvedic period products like milk, curd, ghee, but also cow dung and urine [[gomutra]], or the combination of these five [[panchagavya]] began to assume an increasingly important role in [[ritual purification]] and expiation.<ref name=Jha2002/>{{rp|130–131}}

==See also==
*[[List of Indian cattle breeds]]
*[[List of animals with humps]]
*[[List of cattle breeds]]
*[[Ubre Blanca]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
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