Built for the Heat: An Anatomical Comparison of Indigenous and Exotic Cattle

India's cattle belong to two different worlds. Our indigenous breeds such as Gir, Sahiwal, Red Sindhi, Tharparkar and Kankrej are humped zebu cattle (Bos indicus), domesticated in the Indus Valley region. Exotic dairy breeds such as Holstein Friesian and Jersey are humpless taurine cattle (Bos taurus), shaped by the cool climates of Europe. Genetic studies show that the two lineages were domesticated independently from wild ancestors that had separated long before domestication, and their bodies reflect the climates that formed them.