Phenotypical characterization of pantaneiro cattle in Brazil (Caracterización fenotípica del bovino pantaneiro en el Brasil)

CHARACTERIZATION OF PANTANEIRO CATTLE IN BRAZIL
PHENOTYPICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF PANTANEIRO
CATTLE IN BRAZIL
CARACTERIZACION FENOTIPICA DEL BOVINO PANTANEIRO
EN EL BRASIL
Mazza, M.C.M.*, C.A.S. Mazza*, J.R.S. Sereno*, S.A. Santos* and A.C. Moura**
* EMBRAPA-CPAP. C. Postal 109. 79320-900 Corumbá MS .Brazil
** UNESP-FMVZ. 18600 Botucatu SP. Brazil
Additional Keywords Palabras clave adicionales
Phenotype. Criollo cattle. Genetic resources,. Fenotipos. Bovinos criollos. Recursos genéticos.
Conservation. Rare breed. Beef cattle. Conservación. Raza autóctona. Bovino de carne.
SUMMARY
The remaining populations of Pantaneiro cattleThe spanish cattle breeds brought by settlers
are quite similar to those described at the be-reaching the Pantanal later joined portuguese
ginning of this centu-ry, maintaining some pheno-breeds and their descendants formed a local
typical characteristics of old spanish and portu-breed called Pantaneiro, Cuiabano or Tucura
guese cattle. Pantaneiro bovine closely resemblescattle. Through natural selection and evolutio-
the Criollo of Beni (Bolivia) and the Casanarenary processes, these cattle adapted to the eco-
o o (Colombia).logical conditions of the Pantanal (16 -22 S and
o o55 -58 W), a floodplain in the upper Paraguay
river basin. Since the beginning of this century,
these populations have been gradually substituted RESUMEN
by Zebu cattle, placing this genetic resource in
danger of extinction. The Pantanal Agricultural Las primeras razas bovinas, traídas al Pantanal
Research Center (CPAP-EMBRAPA) founded a por los colonizadores y más tarde las portugue-
conservation bank at its experimental station at sas y sus descendientes, formaron una raza local:
the Pantanal (Nhumirim Ranch). bovino Pantanero, Tucura o Cuiabano. A través
Literature on the subject is very scarce; de la selección natural y de los procesos evoluti-
thsome publications from the beginning of the 20 vos estos bovinos se adaptaron a las condiciones
ocentury describe the Pantaneiro cattle as small climáticas e hidrológicas del Pantanal (16-22 S y
osized with short red or brown hair with lighter 55-58 O) - región inundable del río Paraguay.
coloration on the back; short and thin horns, Desde comienzo del siglo, la introducción de
upturned and pointed to the front; white ring ganado Cebú, ha puesto a estos recursos genéti-
around the snout and a lighter circle around the cos en peligro de extinción. El Centro de Pesqui-
theyes. However, since the end of the 19 century, sa Agropecuária do Pantanal (CPAP-EMBRAPA)
interbreeding, mainly with the Franqueiro cattle fundó un banco de conservación en su estación
(descendant from portuguese breeds, formed in experimental en el Pantanal (hacienda Nhumirim).
Minas Gerais, Brazil) and the Zebu has occurred. La literatura sobre el asunto es muy escasa;
Archivos de zootecnia, vol. 41, núm. 154 (extra), p.477Arch. Zootec. 41 (extra): 477-484. 1992.MAZZA et al.
a comienzos del siglo 20 describen al bovino Pan- THE PHENOTYPICAL CHARAC-
tanero como: tamaño reducido, piel gruesa, pelo TERISTICS OF THE PANTA-
corto, de color castaño o rojo, con tendencia a NEIRO CATTLE
clarear en el dorso, cuernos cortos y finos, vol-
viendo para adelante y encima, anillo blanco alre- The Pantanal is a sedimentar
dedor del hocico y un círculo más claro en torno plain located in the Paraguay river
a los ojos. basin (from 80 to 160 m above sea
Desde el final del siglo 19 se ha cruzado con level). The total area is about 140.000
o otras razas, principalmente ganado Franqueiro km , between 16 and 22 S and 55
(descendiente de razas portuguesas, formado en and 58 W. The interaction between
Minas Gerais, Brasil) y Cebu. Las poblaciones ac- climatic, hydrologic, geologic and
tuales son muy semejantes a las descritas al inicio geomorphologic factors is associated
del siglo y aun con características de las razas ori- with a large complexity of habitats
ginales españolas y portuguesas. También tiene and biodiversity. The organisms re-
cierta semejanza fenotípica con el criollo del Beni cently introduced into this environ-
(Bolivia) y con el Casanare de Colombia. ment are subjected to several extreme
physical factors such as: high solar
INTRODUCTION radiation; high thermic amplitud
(ranging from 0 C in winter to 40
The first spanish cattle breed in summer); high water level fluctua-
brought by settlers at the Pantanal, tion altering the area of food availabi-
later joined with portuguese breeds lity; and biological factors such as pa-
and their descendants, to form a local rasites, predator and other interacting
breed: the Pantaneiro cattle Cuiabano species. All these patterns in the envi-
or Tucura . Through natural selection ronment (Ricklefs, 1979), mold the
and evolutionary processes, these cattle adaptations that are the structure and
adapted to the ecological conditions function of the organism.
of the Pantanal, in Brazil. However, Studies on european breeds in tro-
since the beginning of this century, pical environments show that an in-
has been gradually substituted by Ze- crease in temperature up to 30 or 40
bu cattle, placing this genetic resource C increases the respiratory and heart
in danger of extinction. The Pantanal beat frequency and decreases th
Agricultural Research Centre (CPAP- food ingestion and milk production
EMBRAPA) established a conserva- (Güntler et al., 1987; Müller, 1979).
tion nucleus in situ at the Pantanal Throughout evolution, natural selec-
(Nhumirim Ranch). tion has led to the retention of those
The purpose of this study is to de- characteristics which ensure its greater
termine the phenotypical pattern of reproductive success than other orga-
the Pantaneiro cattle, for the period nisms in the same environment. These
in which historic data are available adaptations include changes in mor-
and to analyze the remaining popu- phology, biochemistry and behaviour,
lations including the Nhumirim herd. and are passed from one generation to
the next (Black 1983).
HISTORICAL RECOVERY OF From the adaptation process and
Ceoose2oooooy
Archivos de zootecnia, vol. 41, núm. 154 (extra), p.478
, CHARACTERIZATION OF PANTANEIRO CATTLE IN BRAZIL
natural selection of the european cat- from dark yellow on the back to black
tle populations in the ecological condi- on the legs, while at the ventral area,
tions of the Pantanal, arose a local ty- between the legs, it is white. The hair
pe, according to Lisboa (1909) it is a is thin and silky and very uniform.
breed characteristic of the Paragua
plain, regionally called Pantaneiro or OTHER BREEDS INTRODUCED
Cuiabano and nowadays name INTO THE PANTANAL
Tucura , which Cotrim (1913) called
generically as Curraleiro cattle. According to Lisboa (1909), Fran-
Literature on the phenotypical cha- queiro was the breed which most
racterization of Pantaneiro cattle is influenced the Pantaneiro, in the be-
thvery scarce, particularly from th ginning of 20 century; the Franqueiro
th th17 to the 19 centuries. In the be- itself was a crossbreed of european
thginning of the 20 century, Lisboa cattle (mainly portuguese breeds) and
(1909) described the Pantaneiro cattle other Criollo formed in the states of
as follows: small size, short red or Minas Gerais and Sâo Paulo, as well
brown hair with lighter coloration on as in Rio Grande do Sul. This breed
the back; short and thin horns, uptur- was introduced into the State of Mato
ned and pointing forward; white ring Grosso by cattle dealers from Minas
around the snout; a light circle around Gerais. Cattle ranchers in Mato Grosso
the eyes; the post face generall considered Franqueiro less fertile than
convex; long and thin tail; and a little the purebred Pantaneiro. According
developed hindquarter. Their thick to Lisboa (1909), the cattle called
hide, resistant to climatic variations Brucho in Southern Mato Grosso,
and to mosquitoes is adapted to the mainly in the Pantanal, was the resul-
water, where the animals live during ting from crossing Pantaneiro and
most part of the year. Cotrim (1913) Franqueiro. Vianna (1927) reported
described the Pantaneiro cattle as an that, in Mato Grosso, the animals re-
animal of small size, representing sulting after crossing the portuguese
among the Brazilian breeds, the Jersey Mato Grosso cattle and the local cattle
type: small and light weight and that of spanish origin (from the la Plata
th thpresent thin and short head with possessions in 16 -17 centuries
horns frontward and upward, generall was called China (in other Brazilian
white or clear with dark ends; the ears regions China means the cattle formed
are small and with small amount of by crossing Zebu x Criollo). Th
hair; the snout is black with a white description of this author of the Mato
ring around it; the face is black or Grosso China is quite similar to that
dark, with the lighter coloration on from Lisboa (1909) and Cotrim (1913)
front and a light circle around the for the Pantaneiro cattle.
eyes. The haunch is relatively long To improve the beef cattle industry,
and provided with meat, with thin the farmers introduced some purebred
high tail insertion; the hide is thick, animals of exotic european breeds as
but covered with dark epi