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ARS Home » Plains Area » Miles City, Montana » Livestock and Range Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #422009
Research Project: Identifying and Mitigating Factors that Limit Beef Production Efficiency

Location: Livestock and Range Research Laboratory

Title: Genomic analysis of taurine and indicine ancestry in the Montana Tropical® composite population

Author
item DOS SANTOS, CAMILA - Purdue University
item Hay, El Hamidi
item OLIVEIRA, ELISANGELA - Universidade De Sao Paulo
item ESPIGOLAN, RAFAEL - Universidade De Sao Paulo
item BENTO STERMAN FERRAZ, JOSE - Universidade De Sao Paulo
item DO PRADO PAIM, TIAGO - Federal University Of Goias

Submitted to: Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/13/2025
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: The Montana Tropical cattle, a blend of different cattle types, were developed in Brazil starting from 1994. This breed mixes four main types of cattle: Zebu (mainly Nelore), tropical-adapted Taurine (like Senepol and Romosinuano), British Taurine (like Angus), and continental Taurine (such as Charolais, Simental, and Limousin). The study aimed to understand the genetic background of these cattle at the DNA level. The analysis showed that Montana Tropical cattle are genetically between Zebu and Taurine cattle but are more similar to Taurine, reflecting their mixed heritage. The cattle do not show a predominant breed in their makeup, indicating high admixture. On average, these cattle have about 24% Zebu ancestry and 62% Taurine ancestry, spread across tropical-adapted, British, and continental Taurine breeds, with a small portion of their genetics still unidentified. Certain traits in the cattle can be linked to specific genetic backgrounds: for example, characteristics from tropical-adapted Taurine appear in genes related to hair, and traits from Zebu are linked to longevity. This research highlights how the genetic mix in Montana Tropical cattle promotes valuable traits for productivity and adaptation.

Technical Abstract: The Montana Tropical cattle, a Taurine and Indicine composite, were developed in Brazil since 1994. This composite is based on crossing four biological types of cattle: zebu (mainly Nelore), tropical adapted taurine (mainly Senepol and Romosinuano), British taurine (mainly Angus) and continental taurine (as Charolais, Simental and Limousin). This study aimed to characterize genetic ancestry of this composite breed at the genomic level. The genotypic data consisted of the founder biological types and the Montana tropical. Principal component analysis revealed Montana Tropical composite in intermediate space between indicine and taurine but closer to Taurine cluster, which is consistent with its multi-breed origin. The ADMIXTURE analysis indicated the Montana tropical to be composed of several progenitor breeds without an indication of a dominant breed. Additionally, local ancestry analysis showed the Montana animals to have an average of 24% (standard deviation of ± 5.41) Zebu ancestry. The total taurine ancestry was 62%, consisting of 19.6% (±6.96) from tropical adapted taurine, 20.1% (±5.99) from British taurine, 21.92% (±7.79) from continental taurine and 14% (± 5.26) of the genome was undetermined. The genomic regions with enhanced ancestry of each biological type highlight the traits that each genetic group stands out. For example, the high tropical adapted taurine ancestry was seen in slick hair locus and the regions of high indicine ancestry are known as related to high length of productive life. This study unravels the complex genetic ancestry of the Montana Tropical composite, highlighting the effective blend of ancestral gene pools that enhance key production and adaptation traits.