The Categorisation of Types and Breeds of Cattle in Europe
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EUROPEAN TYPES AND BREEDS OF CATTLE THE CATEGORISATION OF TYPES AND BREEDS OF CATTLE IN EUROPE CATEGORIZACION DE TIPOS Y RAZAS DE VACUNO EN EUROPA Alderson, L. Rare Breeds Survival Trust. National Agricultural Centre, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, U.K. Additional Keywords Palabras clave adicionales Americas. Domestication. Ethnology. Américas. Domesticación. Etnología. SUMMARY The domestication of cattle in Europe and domesticación pero hay también evidencias North Africa dates back at least 8000 years. The coetáneas del proceso en otras partes de Europa. Middle East was an early site of domestication but Los movimientos migratorios de los pueblos y el there is evidence of domesticated cattle in other consiguiente intercambio cultural afectaron a las parts of Europe at about this time. Subsequent poblaciones ganaderas. La comprensión de las movements of peoples and the development of relaciones entre las razas y tipos europeos de cultural exchange affected the livestock popula- ganado puede aumentarse mediante un análisis tions. The understanding of the relationship multidisciplinario, que incluya datos etnológicos, between european breeds and types of cattle can arqueológicos y sociohistóricos, así como la be increased by a multi-disciplinary approach caracterización morfológica y estudios bioquími- including ethnological, archaeological and socio- cos de las razas y poblaciones ganaderas. Se han historical data, in conjunction with morphologi- identificado cuatro grupos de bovinos europeos: cal characterisation and biochemical studies of podólico, de origen asiático; shorthorn del norte livestock breeds and populations. Four european de Europa; el de Europa Central con tipos de groups of cattle have been identified, namely the origen mixto y el longhorn, del extremo occidental podolic of asian origin, the shorthorn of north- de Europa que pueden ser relictos de los bovinos ern european origin, the central european group primitivos. containing types of mixed origin, and the long- horn group in the western fringes of Europe, which may be remnants of cattle of the earliest SOURCES OF EVIDENCE civilisation. Evidence for ancestral relationships between breeds of cattle may be RESUMEN sought in several research fields viz: La domesticación de los bovinos en Europa I. PHENOTYPIC CHARACTERISATION. y Norte de Africa data de al menos 8000 años. El Those characteristics which have been Oriente medio fue un lugar primitivo de influenced least by environmental Archivos de zootecnia,Arch. Zootec. vol. 41, 41 núm. (extra): 154 (extra), 325-334. p. 1992.325. ALDERSON effect or artificial selection pressure by the Shorthorn and South Devon will provide the best evidence, while breeds from Britain several decades the effects of convergent or divergent ago. evolution will serve to confuse the evaluation. 2. HISTORICAL EVIDENCE. Historical Morphology can provide useful evidence may be obtained from several evidence. For example, the shape and sources. Firstly, archaeological sites size of the head and the horns in yield large quantities of osteological general are likely to have been affected material which can provide a general less by selection. picture of the most common types of The predominant colour of a cattle at different periods. However, population may also be indicative of much of the evidence from this its origin, although it may have been source in the past has been misleading. influenced during its later Secondly, cave or tomb paintings development by religion, culture and from an early period have been found fashion. For example, the colour of in Europe and North Africa. These cattle was of great importance to the probably give a more accurate Celts: red animals symbolised fertility representation of the type of cattle, and crops, black animals pestilence subject to the artistic licence of the and death, and white animals the artist(s) and possible misinterpre- worship of the sun. However, colour tation by later generations. alone without corroborating evidence Thirdly, ethnological studies are can be misleading. On a farm in particularly valuable and the England, calves with the colour pattern movement and migration of peoples of Gloucester cattle resulted from is likely to have been a significant matings of a Jersey x Charolais bull factor in the distribution of livestock. with Friesian cows. Where the movement was rapid, or Size and conformation are likely to where the purpose was plunder, the be less useful criteria; they are easily effect may have been limited, but and rapidly affected by environmental where trade and or settlement was the conditions and systems of manage- prime objective the movement of ment. For example, a White Park cow cattle would have been an integral weighs 630-640 kg, but its feral part of the process. cousin the Chillingham, which has evolved separately for more than 700 3. BIOCHEMICAL EVIDENCE. The years, weighs only 280 kg. development of techniques such as Phenotypic characterisation should blood-typing, genetic finger printing be interpreted with the benefit of and other forms of DNA analysis has other evidence. For example, provided further opportunities to study morphological studies of the Rubia breed relationships and make genetic Gallega breed in North-West Iberia distance calculations. are of limited value because the breed Several studies have been carried experienced significant introgression out to calculate genetic distance. Royle Archivos de zootecnia, vol. 41, núm. 154 (extra), p. 326. EUROPEAN TYPES AND BREEDS OF CATTLE (1980) studied several british breeds distant from the centre of diffusion of cattle; Manwell and Baker (1980) are the oldest and most primitive covered a different range of breeds of breeds. cattle; Bowling (1990) and Cothran The alternative explanation is that (1992) have studied many breeds of Bos primigenius (Aurochs) was horses but their results do not agree domesticated at several different sites in some respects. in Europe and North Africa and the Limitations on the value of such variety in the morphology of cattle studies result from population would tend to support this proposition. bottlenecks and subsequent inbree- There is evidence of ploughing in the ding in many breeds, and these lower Danube Valley (circa 4500 BC), together with unequal founder effect in England and Poland (circa 3500 may distort the results. The accuracy BC) and in Southern Spain (before of this evidence also relies on 3000 BC). Domesticated cattle in the knowledge of introgression suffered northern Sahara (6500 - 4000 BC) are by a breed so that only pure depicted in rock paintings and show representatives of the original type longhorned humpless cattle of various should be included in the study, but colours and patterns. Similarly in it is clear that this requirement is not Egypt (2500 - 1500 BC) cattle always properly recognised. exhibited varying characteristics including polledness. The Minoan civilisation in Crete (circa 1500 BC) SITES OF DOMESTICATION placed great emphasis on the bull culture and the bulls used in the sport A further question that needs to be of bull-leaping were longhorned and addressed is the identification of the spotted or pied. Cattle were used at an site(s) of domestication. All domestic early stage for milk, meat, manure Bos taurus cattle are descended from and draught. the Aurochs, whose range extended This paper does not seek to explore westwards from a line linking the the validity or relative merits of these Gulf of Finland and the Persian Gulf, theories. It will assess the evidence including North Africa but excluding from morphological and historical Scandinavia except for Denmark and information to construct a pattern of the southern tip of Sweden. relationship between breeds of cattle Probably cattle were domesticated in Europe. first in Sumeria, and it is possible that all domesticated cattle derive from this single centre of civilisation CURRENT CATTLE TYPES IN spreading gradually to all parts of EUROPE Europe. There is some evidence to support this hypothesis (Epstein, 1970). The evaluation of the phenotypic A theory has been advanced by characteristics of each breed of cattle Lauvergne (1979) to demonstrate that in Europe enables a broad pattern of the breeds which are found most types to be drawn. Archivos de zootecnia, vol. 41, núm. 154 (extra), p. 327. ALDERSON In some cases this information is Sussex, Shorthorn (all England). This devalued because of recent and group also later influenced breed significant introgression and has been development by widespread use of discarded. Thus the phenotype of the Shorthorn cattle from England in the Salers breed in France was changed development of breeds such as the by crossing with Highland and Devon Bleue du Nord and Maine-Anjou. cattle from Britain; the Mertola of Portugal is the result of relatively 3. CENTRAL EUROPE. recent crossing with the Berrenda and (a) Swiss group. the Alentajana; while the Cacereña of - Distribution: Alpine region, Extremadura has suffered some northern Italy. introgression from northern European - Short head, medium/short horns breeds. curving upwards. The following types of native - Mainly shades of grey and brown; cattle (i.e before the recent expansion light-coloured muzzle “halo”. of breeds such as the Holstein/Friesian - Medium size. and Simmental) can be distinguished: - Typical breeds: Brown Swiss (Switzerland),Garfagnina, Pontremo- 1. PODOLIC. lese (both Italy). - Distribution: Lower/Mid Danube, (b) Pattern group. Balkans, Italy. - Distribution: Germany, Austria,