Origin and evolution of criollo cattle breeds (Bos taurus) of Colombia

The Creole cattle of America are descended from a reduced number of animals which arrived with Christopher Columbus during his second voyage in November 1493 and mainly from animals introduced later by the conquistadors and the Spanish colonists from the island of Hispaniola (Haiti and Dominican Republic) from where they were introduced in Colombia. These animals of various breeds played a fundamental role in the implantation and the development of cattle breeding in the country until the beginning of the 20(th) century. The introduction, from that date, of new bovine breeds was at the origin of a considerable decrease in the number of theses Creole breeds and change in the system of production. Currently, these Creole breeds are now a part of a program of conservation and we intend to use them in pure and cross-breeds for the production of meat and milk in tropical conditions. The genetic studies demonstrate a certain degree of polymorphism which translates a relatively strong variability in breeds with a small number of animals. In a world context of biodiversity preservation this genetic wealth is carrier of hope.