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A study was designed to evaluate the correlation in ear and horn sizes, in both cases as keys to body thermoregulation. For this purpose, measurements of the horn (length and perimeter) and ears (length and width) were obtained from 23 adult Catalan Goat (Cabra Catalana) females. A negative significant correlation between ear and horn size was obta...
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... After all, warmer climates are often also dryer, increasing the need for water preservation. Another indication of a thermoregulatory function of horns is the finding that breeds of polled cattle (cattle born without horns) tend to have larger ears as a proposed compensation mechanism [30]. Moreover, it has been shown that avian bills have a function in thermoregulation [31]. ...
Dairy cattle are typically disbudded or dehorned. Little is known, however, about the biological function and role of horns during thermoregulatory processes in cattle, and thus about the potential physiological consequences of horn removal. Anecdotal evidence suggests that dairy cow horns increase in temperature during rumination, and few studies on other bovid species indicate that horns aid thermoregulation. The objective of this study was, therefore, to elucidate a possible thermoregulatory function of the horns in dairy cattle. Using non-invasive infrared thermography, we measured the superficial temperature of the horns, eyes, and ears of 18 focal cows on three different farms in a temperate climate zone under various environmental circumstances. Observations of social and non-social behaviours were conducted as well. Based on environmental temperature, humidity, and wind speed, the heat load index (HLI) was calculated as a measure of the heat load experienced by a cow. The temperature of the horns increased by 0.18 °C per unit HLI, indicating that horns serve the dissipation of heat. Dehorned cows had higher eye temperatures than horned cows, though this result should be interpreted with caution as the low sample size and experimental setup prevent casual conclusions. We did not, however, find changes in horn temperature during rumination, nor with any other behaviours. Our study thus supports a role of horns in thermoregulation, but not related to rumination. These results should be considered when assessing the potential consequences of horn removal, a painful procedure.
... Anatomical investigations documented changes of the skull shape related to disbudding [11,12], considerations concerning an influence on the metabolism of the cows were published [13][14][15], and investigations were conducted into the metabolites and fatty acids of the milk of horned and dehorned cows [16][17][18]. The horns are repeatedly considered to be of importance for thermoregulation [19][20][21], and also the ears were considered to be enlarged in polled cattle to serve to maintain body temperature homeostasis in hot climatic conditions [22]. Under cold ambient temperatures, the milk metabolites of horned cows indicated an additional energy demand, which was supposed to reflect the energy demand of the heat-emitting horns [17]. ...
... The influence of the ambient temperature on the metabolism of the cow was supposed to be of importance because the horns are known to emit heat especially in cold environments [21,39]. Baars et al. considered heat loss through the horns as the reason why the horn-bearing cows expressed a higher energy demand, which was recognizable in the fatty acid pattern and the metabolites in the milk, in situations of low ambient temperatures [16,17]. ...
To investigate the importance of cow-individual effects and the importance of horn status (horned vs. disbudded), of diet (hay with and without concentrates), and of ambient temperature (10 °C vs. 25 °C) on delayed luminescence (DL) parameters of milk samples, fluorescence excitation spectroscopic (FES) measurements were performed on a total of n = 152 milk samples from 20 cows of a cross-over experiment. Cow-individual variation was investigated in relation to the horn status, diet effects were evaluated by cow in relation to sampling effects, and regression analysis was used to evaluate the importance of the experimental factors on the variation of emission parameters. Variation of short-term emission after yellow excitation (530 to 800 nm) was predominantly related to the individual cow (disbudded cows tended to higher values), and was partly affected by feeding, with higher emission for concentrate-added diets. Short-term emission after white excitation (260 to 850 nm) was most related to ambient temperature, with higher values at warm temperature. Higher emission was observed also in aged (stored) samples or after delayed cooling. The emission after yellow showed to be more robust to handling and ageing of the milk than the emission after white; possible relations to digestive processes of the cow (including the microbiome) are warranted.
... Adicionalmente, se han llevado a cabo otros estudios morfológicos en la cabra Catalana que no entraremos a comentar, ya que no aportan información relevante a esta memoria. Sin embargo, queremos citar un estudio sobre los patrones de morfometría geométrica y otro de antisimetría de cuernos (Parés and Kucherova, 2013a, b); la relación entre la longitud de los cuernos y las orejas (Parés and Kucherova, 2014a) o el crecimiento de los cuernos pasada la fase adulta (Parés, 2017b). ...
El informe técnico aporta razones y argumentos válidos para que esta población caprina de aptitud cárnica, sita actualmente en la sierra prepirenaica del Montsec en las comarcas de la Noguera y el Pallars Jussà (Lleida) y denominada cabra Catalana, sea propuesta por el Comité de Razas de Ganado de España como raza autóctona en peligro de extinción para su inclusión en el “Catálogo Oficial de Razas de Ganado de España”.
Se aporta la información existente acerca de su origen e historia, censos, distribución geográfica y características morfológicas, productivas y genéticas de la misma. Se presentan los resultados obtenidos a partir de mediados de la primera década del s.XXI, en que se inicia su rescate y recuperación, hasta la actualidad. Han contribuido a ello el Departamento de Producción Animal de la Universitat de Lleida en colaboración con el grupo Cultures Trobades de Slow Food Terres de Lleida, organización sin ánimo de lucro que trabaja, entre otras cosas, en el mantenimiento de la biodiversidad y la conservación de las variedades tradicionales, tanto vegetales como animales, en peligro de desaparición.
Posteriormente, en el año 2016, se firmó un convenio de colaboración entre el Departament d’Agricultura, Ramaderia, Pesca i Alimentació (DARP) de la Generalitat de Catalunya y la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, para proceder a su caracterización y entronque genético con otras razas caprinas de su entorno.
... L'any 2012, des del Departament de Producció Animal de la Universitat de Lleida i en col·laboració amb el grup Cultures Trobades de Slow Food, s'inicia l'estudi d'aquests animals recuperats, bàsicament en el vessant morfològic (Parés and Kucherova, 2013a, 2013b, 2014. ...
L’anomenada cabra Catalana la podem considerar, ara per ara, com una agrupació racial d’individus localitzats majoritàriament a la zona del Montsec (Lleida) que, segons les recopilacions històriques fetes i els treballs morfològics realitzats, podria correspondre’s amb l’antiga cabra Catalana, suposadament extingida a mitjan s. XX.
El cens no supera el centenar d’animals i es localitzen de forma majoritària en un únic ramat a Vilanova de Meià (Lleida). No obstant això, se n’ha localitzat d’altres, dispersos en ramats mixtos, a les comarques del Pallars Jussà i l’Alta Ribagorça.
Sobre la base de marcadors d’ADN de tipus microsatèl·lit es realitza la caracterització genètica, per confirmar o rebatre els estudis morfològics previs que apuntarien la possibilitat de ser el reducte ancestral i hereva de l’antiga cabra Catalana. Així mateix, s’analitzen les relacions genètiques que manté amb altres races caprines ibèriques.
De tot plegat se n’extreu l’elevada uniformitat que mostra i la més estreta relació que manté amb les races pirinenques, perfectament diferenciades de la resta de la península i les illes. La diferenciació és força patent en l’anàlisi amb STRUCTURE, que representa l’estructura de distribució genòmica dels individus de cada raça, i que la confirma com una entitat perfectament definida.
This review describes the formation, structure, and function of bony compartments in antlers, horns, ossicones, osteoderm and the os penis/os clitoris (collectively referred to herein as AHOOO structures) in extant mammals. AHOOOs are extra‐skeletal bones that originate from subcutaneous (dermal) tissues in a wide variety of mammals, and this review elaborates on the co‐development of the bone and skin in these structures. During foetal stages, primordial cells for the bony compartments arise in subcutaneous tissues. The epithelial–mesenchymal transition is assumed to play a key role in the differentiation of bone, cartilage, skin and other tissues in AHOOO structures. AHOOO ossification takes place after skeletal bone formation, and may depend on sexual maturity. Skin keratinization occurs in tandem with ossification and may be under the control of androgens. Both endochondral and intramembranous ossification participate in bony compartment formation. There is variation in gradients of density in different AHOOO structures. These gradients, which vary according to function and species, primarily reduce mechanical stress. Anchorage of AHOOOs to their surrounding tissues fortifies these structures and is accomplished by bone–bone fusion and Sharpey fibres. The presence of the integument is essential for the protection and function of the bony compartments. Three major functions can be attributed to AHOOOs: mechanical, visual, and thermoregulatory. This review provides the first extensive comparative description of the skeletal and integumentary systems of AHOOOs in a variety of mammals.
España es el país más biodiverso de la Unión Europea, y uno de los más
diversos a nivel mundial. El ganado caprino es un buen ejemplo de ello,
con 23 razas autóctonas reconocidas oficialmente: cinco catalogadas como
razas de fomento y el resto en peligro de extinción. Para una descripción
ordenada de estas razas, su situación actual y sistemas de producción, en
este artículo se exponen según su distribución geográfica: región Norte,
región Central (mesetas), región Sureste, región del Levante y el archipiélago
Canario.
