The quest for naturally Adapted Cattle
 
The Australian continent is positioned between 10 deg and 40 deg south in the Southern Hemisphere. This corresponds remarkably accurate in size and position to the Southern African landmass south of the Congo and Tanzania. Similarly the climatic conditions correspond around the coast lines and the interior – varying from high rainfall areas in the tropical North to desert and semi-desert landscapes in the central and western areas. Yet the natural history of the two continents favored Southern Africa to harbor an ancient indigenous breed of regionally adapted cattle - the Nguni... The origin of the Bovidae (Eotragus) family (even toed ungulates that include cattle) is thought to have been in the Middle East with the oldest fossils found in Miocene deposits from Pakistan, dated at 18 million years ago. Two species of cattle (Bos indicus and Bos taurus) developed from the Bovidae family and were domesticated towards the end of the Mesolithic period (Stone Age) - that is before 3000 B.C. in Europe and 6000-9000 B.C. in the Middle East. Bos indicus settled mostly in the Middle East and India and Bos taurus in Europe (aurochs, extinct since 1627). The Nguni originated about 8000 years ago in East Africa (probably Ethiopia) and carry mostly traits of Bos taurus, some traits of Bos indicus and some unique traits. The Nguni (described as Bos taurus africanus) migrated south in two main streams to settle in Southern Africa. Ancestors of the Aborigines migrated to Australia already before the Stone Age, that is during the late Pleistocene / Paleolithic period (about 30 000 years ago). History saw the domestication of cattle move into practice in the Middle East 20 000 years later only. By that time the land bridge between Australia and the Asian continent via the Indonesian Archipelago was already flooded, excluding Australia from the magic of the world’s natural history of regionally adapted cattle. The first cattle arrived by boat in Australia and New Zealand in 1788. But what would have happened if history did not sever the umbilical link between Australia and the Asian continent? What breed of cattle would have settled naturally with early migrants on the Australian continent? Considering Africa’s Suez link to the Middle East - would the roll-out in Australia be similar to the Southern African story of the Nguni? We will never know the answers to these questions. But what we do know is that if the waters flooded across the Indonesian Archipelago a bit later along the time-line, Australia could well have had her own natural adapted breed of cattle! Perhaps it is time to look at the natural history of the sister continent Africa - similar in latitude, climate and disease profiles. Perhaps it is time to look at the Nguni - the original natural breed from Africa - a bit closer...