Turano-Mongolian cattle

{{see also|Aurochs#Domestication}}

Turano-Mongolian cattle are morphologically distinct from the European taurine cattle especially in the shape of their skull and their horns.{{cite journal |author1=Kantanen, Juha |display-authors=etal |year=2009 |title=Maternal and paternal genealogy of Eurasian taurine cattle (Bos taurus) |journal=Heredity |volume=103 |issue=5 |pages=404–415 |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/hdy200968.pdf |doi=10.1038/hdy.2009.68 |pmid=19603063 |doi-access=free}}{{cite web |url=http://krankykids.com/cows/mydailycow_2009/2009_july/20090726.html |website=Kranky Kids |series=My daily cow A-Z alphabetical cattle breed reference |title=Kazakh |date=July 2009 |access-date=8 July 2013}} The skull is wedge-shaped and has a narrow crown and a depression on the frontal bone. The horns grow upwards instead of forwards.

Genetically the difference can be seen in the mtDNA haplogroups. Of the five mtDNA haplogroups (T, T1, T2, T3, T4) found in existing taurine cattle breeds, T2, T3 and T4 appear in the Turano-Mongolian group. T4 is unique to the breeds of this group. T is found in both Near Eastern and European breeds, while T1 appears only in African and (at lower frequencies) in Near Eastern breeds. T2 is found in all three Eurasian regions, though only at low frequencies in European and Turano-Mongolian breeds. Finally T3 is common to all Eurasian regions, but found only in very low numbers in Africa.{{cite journal |url=http://pendientedemigracion.ucm.es/info/genetvet/matrilineages_lidia_breed.pdf |author1=Cortés, O. |display-authors=etal |date=December 2008 |title=Ancestral matrilineages and mitochondrial DNA diversity of the Lidia cattle breed |journal=Animal Genetics |volume=39 |number=6 |pages=649–654 |doi=10.1111/j.1365-2052.2008.01782.x |pmid=18822101 |access-date=8 July 2013}}{{cite journal |author1=Marina S. Ascunce |display-authors=etal |year=2007 |title=An unusual pattern of ancient mitochondrial DNA haplogroups in northern African cattle |journal=Zoological Studies |volume=46 |issue=1 |pages=123–125 |url=http://zoolstud.sinica.edu.tw/Journals/46.1/123.pdf |access-date=8 July 2013}}

Many breeds of Turano-Mongolian cattle show a great hardiness and tolerance towards freezing temperatures as a result of adaption to harsh Asian climates. Especially the breeds of the Asian steppe and the Tibetan plateau are able to withstand temperature fluctuations from –50 °C to 35 °C (–60 °F to 95 °F).{{cite report |title=Mongolia |url=http://dad.fao.org/cgi-bin/EfabisWeb.cgi?sid=d61a2048da18a0141c6c2333b0d233f0,reportsreport8a_50001893 |publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) |website=Domestic Animal Diversity Information System |access-date=8 July 2013}}{{cite web |website=Kranky Kids |url=http://krankykids.com/cows/mydailycow_alphabetical.html#turano |series=My daily cow A-Z alphabetical cattle breed reference |title=Turano-Mongolian cattle |date= |access-date=8 July 2013}} A singular adaption is shown by the Yakutian cattle of northern Siberia, whose center of breeding lies close to the northern pole of cold (see climate data). A number of traits, such as a thick winter coat, a small, fur-covered udder resp. scrotum, efficient thermoregulation, and low metabolic rates at low temperatures, lead to their extreme tolerance towards freezing temperatures.{{Cite book |author1=Ernst, L.K. |author2=Dmitriev, N.G. |year=1989 |chapter=Yakut (Yakutskii skot) |editor1=Dmitriev, N.G. |editor2=Ernst, L.K. |title=Animal genetic resources of the USSR |series=FAO Animal Production and Health Paper 65 |pages=92–93 |isbn=92-5-102582-7 |url=https://www.fao.org/4/ah759e/ah759e.pdf |publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) |access-date=30 June 2013}}{{cite report |url=http://dad.fao.org/cgi-bin/EfabisWeb.cgi?sid=f7fee8d19c1e7897a74ee21f16f0f8e9,reportsreport8a_50002269 |publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) |website=Domestic Animal Diversity Information System |title=Yakutskii Skot / Russian Federation |access-date=8 July 2013}}{{cite journal |author1=Tapio, Ilma |display-authors=etal |date=30 June 2010 |title=Estimation of relatedness among non-pedigreed Yakutian cryo-bank bulls using molecular data: Implications for conservation and breed management |journal=Genetics Selection Evolution |volume=42 |issue=1 |page=28 |doi=10.1186/1297-9686-42-28 |pmid=20626845 |pmc=2909159 |doi-access=free }} A compelling example of this is the case of several cows which survived on their own in the taiga forest for three months in late 2011 in deep snows and temperatures reaching as low as –40 °C (–40 °F).{{cite web |title=Рекорд выживаемости в экстремальных условиях в Эвено-Бытантайском районе поставили коровы якутской породы |first=Владимир (Vladimir) |last=Степанов (Stepanov) |url=http://www.1sn.ru/53366.html |date=4 December 2011 |website=Sakha News |access-date=30 June 2013}} 3 pictures.

In the wake of modernization and specialization in animal husbandry, many Turano-Mongolian breeds have been replaced either outright or through extensive crossbreeding by modern international breeds and become extinct. Thus, for example, of the Siberian breeds only the Yakutian cattle remain, and at that only in very small numbers. Others, like Japanese Black and the Kazakh Whiteheaded, have been diluted by crossbreeding with international breeds to varying degrees and often are threatened by further crossbreeding.

Many southern Turano-Mongolian breeds, especially the Central plain and Southern varieties of Chinese Yellow cattle, while showing pure taurine phenotypes, have in prehistorical and historical times been influenced by an admixture of zebu cattle.{{cite report |author1=Qiu, Huai |author2=Ju, Zhiyong |author3=Chang, Zhijie |year=1993 |article=A survey of cattle production in China: More attention to animal genetic resources |title=World Review Animal |volume=76 |issue=3 |publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) |article-url=http://www.fao.org/ag/aga/agap/frg/feedback/war/v0600b/v0600b07.htm |access-date=8 July 2013}}

Only a very few breeds of Turano-Mongolian cattle, as for example the Yakutian cattle, can still be called purebred.

Turano-Mongolian cattle are a subgroup of domestic cattle, Bos primigenius forma taurus, and as such often called the Bos taurus turano-mongolicus group.{{cite journal |author1=Ruzina, M.N. |display-authors=etal |date=April 2010 |title=Polymorphism of the BoLA-DRB3 gene in the Mongolian, Kalmyk, and Yakut cattle breeds |journal=Genetika |volume=46 |issue=4 |pages=517–525 |pmid=20536023}} They have previously also been classified as a distinct subspecies and even as a distinct species. The invalid scientific names resulting from these classifications are:{{cite journal |author1=Ruzina, M.N. |display-authors=etal |date=April 2010 |title=Polymorphism of the BoLA-DRB3 gene in the Mongolian, Kalmyk, and Yakut cattle breeds |series=Supplemental Information and Appendices |journal=Genetika |volume=46 |issue=4 |pages=517–525 |pmid=20536023}}

• Bos taurus orthoceros Stegmann von Pritzwald, 1906,
• Bos turano-mongolicus Kolesnik, 1936,
• Bos taurus turano-mongolicus (Kolesnik), 1936.

(not necessarily comprehensive)

• Buryat cattle – extinct
• Chinese Yellow cattle (China){{cite web |title=Site Search: Turano-Mongolian |website=The Animal Health & Production Compendium (AHPC) |url=http://www.cabi.org/ahpc/default.aspx?site=160&page=2541&profile=32&query=Turano-Mongolian&forcereload=true |access-date=8 July 2013}}
• Northern yellow cattle
• Fuzhou cattle (China)
• Yanbian cattle (China)
• Central plain yellow cattle
• Jinnan cattle
• Luxi cattle
• Nanyang cattle
• Qinchuan cattle
• Wanniu cattle – extinct{{cite report |url=http://dad.fao.org/cgi-bin/EfabisWeb.cgi?sid=d61a2048da18a0141c6c2333b0d233f0,reportsreport12_50000143_50000024 |publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) |website=Domestic Animal Diversity Information System |title=Breeds reported by China |access-date=8 July 2013}}
• Southern yellow cattle
• Japanese Black (Japan){{cite web |url=http://www3.jmi.or.jp/en/about.html |website=Japan Meat Information Service Center |title=What is Wagyu? |date= |access-date=8 July 2013}} – crossbreed; with several strains in the different prefectures, e.g.
• Matsusaka
• Tajima
• Yonezawa
• Japanese Brown (Japan)
• Japanese Polled (Japan)
• Japanese Shorthorn (Japan)
• Korean native cattle{{cite report |url=http://dad.fao.org/cgi-bin/EfabisWeb.cgi?sid=03e1d38c3461657b4d524fe507d692be,reportsreport12_50000153_50000024 |publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) |website=Domestic Animal Diversity Information System |title=Breeds reported by Korea, Republic of |access-date=8 July 2013}}{{cite journal |author1=Kim, EunHee |display-authors=etal |date=23 April 2010 |title=Identification of genetic polymorphisms in bovine mtDNA |journal=Journal of Animal Science |volume=88 |issue=8 |pages=2551–2555 |doi=10.2527/jas.2009-2235 |pmid=20418455 |url=http://www.journalofanimalscience.org/content/early/2010/04/23/jas.2009-2235.full.pdf |access-date=8 July 2013|url-access=subscription }}{{cite journal |author1=Jo, C. |display-authors=etal |title=Keys to production and processing of Hanwoo beef: A perspective of tradition and science |journal=Animal Frontiers |volume=2 |issue=4 |pages=32–38 |url=http://www.animalfrontiers.org/content/2/4/32.full.pdf |date=October 2012 |doi=10.2527/af.2012-0060 |access-date=8 July 2013}}
• Chikso
• Hanwoo
• Heugu
• Jeju Black
• Kalmyk (aka Astrakhan cattle) (Asian steppe){{cite report |url=http://dad.fao.org/cgi-bin/EfabisWeb.cgi?sid=d61a2048da18a0141c6c2333b0d233f0,reportsreport12_50000216_50000024 |publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) |website=Domestic Animal Diversity Information System |title=Breeds reported by Russian Federation |access-date=8 July 2013}}
• Kazakh cattle (Asian steppe)
• Kazakh cattle (Kazakhstan)
• Kirgiz cattle (Kirgiztan)
• Hazake cattle (China)
• Kuchinoshima (Japan){{cite report |url=http://dad.fao.org/cgi-bin/EfabisWeb.cgi?sid=d61a2048da18a0141c6c2333b0d233f0,reportsreport12_50000150_50000024 |publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) |website=Domestic Animal Diversity Information System |title=Breeds reported by Japan |access-date=8 July 2013}}
• Menggu cattle (Inner Mongolia)
• Mishima (Japan)
• Mongolian cattle (Mongolia, incl. Inner Mongolia){{cite report |url=http://dad.fao.org/cgi-bin/EfabisWeb.cgi?sid=d61a2048da18a0141c6c2333b0d233f0,reportsreport12_50000159_50000024 |publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) |website=Domestic Animal Diversity Information System |title=Breeds reported by Mongolia |access-date=8 July 2013}}
• Dornod talyn Hevshil
• Halhïn Gol (aka Khalkhun Golun)
• Sanhe cattle (China) – crossbreed
• Selenge cattle
• Siberian cattle (Siberia)
• Altai cattle (aka South Siberian cattle) – extinct
• Russo-Siberian cattle – extinct
• West Siberian cattle – extinct
• Yakutian cattle (aka East Siberian cattle) – purebred
• Tibetan cattle (Tibetan plateau)
• Wagyu (Japanese cattle outside Japan)

{{reflist|25em}}

Category:Cattle