Cattle (colloquially cows) are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius. Cattle are raised as livestock for meat (beef and veal), as dairy animals for milk and other dairy products, and as draft animals (oxen or bullocks) (pulling carts, plows and the like). Other products include leather and dung for manure or fuel. In some countries, such as India, cattle are sacred. From as few as 80 progenitors domesticated in southeast Turkey about 10,500 years ago,^[2] an estimated 1.3 billion cattle are in the world today. In 2009, cattle became the first livestock animal to have a fully mapped genome

Over 800 breeds of cattle are recognized worldwide, some of which adapted to the local climate, others which were bred by humans for specialized uses. Breeds fall into two main types, regarded as either two closely related species, or two subspecies of one species. Bos indicus (or Bos taurus indicus) cattle, also called zebu, are adapted to hot climates. Bos taurus (or Bos taurus taurus) are the typical cattle of Europe, north-eastern Asia, and parts of Africa – they are referred to in this list as "taurine" cattle, and many are adapted to cooler climates. Taurus/indicus hybrids are widely bred in many warmer regions, combining characteristics of both the ancestral types (such as the Sanga cattle of Africa). In some parts of the world further species of cattle are found (both as wild and domesticated animals), and some of these are related so closely to taurine and indicus cattle that interspecies hybrids have been bred. Examples include the Dwarf Lulu cattle of the mountains of Nepal with yak blood,^[1] the Beefalo of North America with bison genes, the Selembu breed of India and Bhutan with gayal genes. The Madura breed of Indonesia may have banteng in its parentage.^[2] The Dzo of Nepal is an infertile cattle-yak crossing which is bred for agricultural work. Like the mule which is also infertile, they have to be continually bred from the parent species.