This book brings together a wealth of information on the China Yellow Cattle that is of interest to animal scientists, geneticists, developmental specialists, historians, livestock producers and others engaged in farming. The author provides a scientific narrative drawing particularly upon genetics that shows the Yellow Cattle in the context of history and culture over several millennia, assesses their socio-economic contribution in improving the quality of life and recognizes their essential role in the production of food today. The book is written in parallel with English on one page and Chinese on the opposite page.

The Yellow Cattle of China are not simply one breed, as one might think of the Sahiwal, N'Dama or Charolais. The Yellow Cattle are a broad category embracing numerous distinct breeds that exhibit many different qualities of phenotype, genetic structure, adaptation, meat and milk products and suitability for work. The various types or breeds of Yellow Cattle are scattered throughout the huge landmass of China from high elevation and extensive grassland to temperate crop farming in river plains and semi-tropical lush areas. In each place, they are known by local and regional names. The huge diversity of around 30 breeds within this single genetic group is displayed by the 96 high-quality colour photographs at the end of the book. This attractive feature enlightens the narrative, but should not lead one to conclude that this book follows the pattern of some earlier livestock publications that simply offer classifications of breed by their physical features such as coat colour, ear anatomy, weight and height. The recent discoveries of molecular genetics facilitate new ways of distinguishing different breeds. In this book, results from advanced genetic research are combined with the increasing knowledge of the origins of the Yellow Cattle from history, art, culture and archaeology. Thus, the author brings together information from ancient and new sources to provide a fresh understanding of the genetic structure of the breeds, both within the Yellow Cattle group and by comparison with other species including Bali cattle, yak, water buffalo and wild relatives such as the mithun and banteng. The book explores the different contributions made by Bos taurus and Bos indicus to the Yellow Cattle, resulting in variations in hump and adaptation. The B. taurus influence is greater in the northern high-elevation regions, while the B. indicus type is more evident in the south of China. The author uses phylogenetic trees to explain these relationships. Various parameters now being used in molecular genetic analyses are employed to measure genetic relationships between the breeds in the Yellow Cattle group, and these are portrayed using dendrograms.

In addition to the wealth of detail described above, the book gives the reader a valuable overall picture of what is happening in livestock production in China today. The author considers there have been three great periods in Chinese history during which the Yellow Cattle have passed through change and development. The first two were the Qin–Han Dynasty and the Tang–Song Dynasty. He considers that the present period of the Peoples Republic of China is the third such period. In the last 50 years, China has moved and continues to move from an agrarian to an industrial society. Yet the process is far from complete and millions of Chinese citizens live in rural areas where agriculture and livestock production are central to their economic welfare and quality of life. Although pigs and poultry are the most numerous domestic animal species in China, the Yellow Cattle are an extremely important structural resource for the countryside. They contribute substantially as work animals in fields and for transport. In cropping areas they are part of integrated mixed small-scale farming where they consume arable by-products and build soil fertility. They are vital for the livelihoods of pastoralists and for the management of extensive grasslands and mountain rangelands up to about 3000 m, above which yak are better adapted.

Apart from the cattle found in Tibet and associated mountainous areas, the author broadly classifies the Yellow Cattle breeds into three types found in three distinct regions. These are the Northern Pastures, Central Regions with more cultivated land and the Southern Region. The Yellow Cattle have always been multipurpose – for work, meat and milk – although some breeds are valued more for one or other of these functions. The rapid development of cities with an increasing demand for milk is resulting in greater use of the Holstein–Friesian, especially in large and often intensively managed systems. Some specialized beef breeds from Europe are also found, usually under more intensive management. The author has no doubt that, despite the huge socio-economic revolution taking place in China today, the Yellow Cattle continue to have a vital and important place in the Chinese economy and way of life, evident from the fact that 78 percent of all cattle in China today are found in herds of five animals or fewer, indicating the value of the Yellow Cattle for the family farm. The current great global debates about migration from rural to urban civilization and feeding the world leave no doubt in the minds of thinking people that cattle, as herbivores able to use vegetation instead of grain, are guaranteed as vital a role in the future of mankind as they have had in the past. The China Yellow Cattle are an essential resource for millions of small-scale Chinese farmers and they deserve the recognition that is given in this book.