Brune de l' Atlas; Beldi; Blonde des Plateux; d'Oulmes et des Zaers;Oulmes Blond, Oulmes, Blond Moroccan, Blond Zaers, Moroccan Blond; Libyan Brown Atlas, Libyan Shorthorn, Mahalli.
Breed Group Name:
North African Humpless Shorthorns
Subgroup Information:
Brown Atlas
Group Origin:
Humpless Shorthorn cattle (Bos taurus) of northern Africa appear to be similar in evolutionary descent with the Humpless Shorthorn cattle of western and central Africa; however, in view of the presence of the Sahara desert, in most of which cattle are excluded except the distribution of some Zebu breed types, in between the present-day distributions of these two groups, as well as the observed secondary genetic influence of B. taurus introduction from Europe and the Near East (Hanotte et al., 2002), the present-day Humpless Shorthorn cattle of northern Africa more appropriately belong to a separate breed group. Until recent molecular genetic and archaeological findings established African taurine domestication as the origin for the present-day Humpless Shorthorn cattle (Bos taurus) of west, central and northern Africa (Hanotte et al., 2002; MacDonald, 2000), the Humpless Shorthorns were believed to have descended from domestic cattle populations that evolved some 2000 years later than the initial domestication in the 'Fertile Crescent' that were introduced into Africa subsequent to the introduction of the Humpless Longhorns (Epstein, 1971; Payne and Wilson, 1999). In general African Humpless Shorthorns are generally smaller in body size and have shorter horns than the Humpless Longhorns, which made them much easier to manage. Recent archaeological and molecular genetic evidence suggests that African Humpless Shorthorns could have come from separate domestication of the Bos taurus in Africa, referred to as the African taurines. The present-day distribution of the Humpless Shorthorn cattle breeds in northern Africa extends from Egypt through Libya, Tunisia and Algeria to Morocco. There are two subgroups of these breeds: the Egyptian and Brown Atlas. The Egyptian includes the Baladi, Damietta, Maryuti and Saidi of Egypt. The Brown Atlas inhabit a wide coastal area of Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco (Maule, 1990).
Breed Origin :
These cattle are generally considered to be of Brachyceros (Shorthorn) type indigenous to Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco. The pure forms of these cattle are found in Atlas mountains. Three varieties of the Brown Atlas subgroup were known, namely the Moroccan Brown (in Morocco), Guelma (in eastern Algeria, Tunisia and Libya); however, interbreeding among these and other indigenous breeds has reduced their distinctions and at present a general name of Brown Atlas is more recognised. In general the Brown Atlas breed is believed to have derived mainly from the humpless Shorthorn cattle of African (Hanotte et al., 2002) or Asian origin (Epstein, 1971; Payne and Wilson, 1999). Hanotte et al. (2002) also provided evidence for recent genetic influence of Taurines of European and Near eastern origin.
Main Location:
Inhabit the coastal areas of Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco and specifically the Atlas mountains.
Habitat:
Special
Characteristic:
Brown Atlas cattle are sturdy animals with fine limbs, light grey or brown coat colour sometimes with a light streak on the top line, short horns with black tips. The steers are docile and good draught animals. Cows weight about 300 kg and bulls can weigh from 350 to 450 kg. Those in Libya (Libyan Brown Atlas) were reported to produce about 4 kg/day of milk for ordinary cows and upto 10 kg from good milking cows.
