page_title: Zebu
section_title: Origin
hierarchical_section_title: Zebu / Origin
caption_attribution_description: English: India, circa 20-1 B.C. Tools and Equipment; coins Copper alloy Purchased with funds provided by Anna Bing Arnold and Justin Dart (M.84.110.8) South and Southeast Asian Art
context_page_description: A zebu, sometimes known as indicine cattle or humped cattle, is a species or subspecies of domestic cattle originating in South Asia. Zebu are characterised by a fatty hump on their shoulders, a large dewlap, and sometimes drooping ears. They are well adapted to withstanding high temperatures, and are farmed throughout the tropical countries, both as pure zebu and as hybrids with taurine cattle, the other main type of domestic cattle. Zebu are used as draught and riding animals, dairy cattle, and beef cattle, as well as for byproducts such as hides and dung for fuel and manure. Zebu, namely miniature zebu, are kept as companion animals. In 1999, researchers at Texas A&M University successfully cloned a zebu.
context_section_description: Zebu cattle are thought to be derived from Indian aurochs, sometimes regarded as a subspecies, B. p. namadicus. Wild Asian aurochs disappeared during the time of the Indus Valley Civilisation from its range in the Indus River basin and other parts of the South Asian region possibly due to interbreeding with domestic zebu and resultant fragmentation of wild populations due to loss of habitat.
  Phylogenetic analysis revealed that all the zebu Y-chromosome haplotypes 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. 
  Archaeological evidence including depictions on pottery and rocks suggests that the species was present in Egypt around 2000 BC and thought to be imported from the Near East or south. Bos indicus is believed to have first appeared in sub-Saharan Africa between 700 and 1500 and was introduced to the Horn of Africa around 1000.
caption: The zebu picture engraved on coin that used in India of circa 20-1 B.C
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