Criollo cattle: the Iberian founding herd of the Americas (1493- )

The cattle loaded at La Gomera in the Canaries on Columbus's second voyage of 1493 founded every American Criollo breed. Genomics of Colombian, Venezuelan and Caribbean herds now reads the crossing out of the animals: a European taurine base, African taurine and indicine admixture layered on after, and tropical selection strong enough to leave signatures in the prolactin receptor gene. The breeds carrying that record are being replaced by imported commercial stock.