North American Piedmontese

North American Piedmontese
MLF 911 W
National Champion MLF Unforgettable 911W
Other namesFullblood Piedmontese, and Naturalean Homozygous[1]
Country of originNorth America
DistributionCanada, United States
Standard[1]
Use
  • Raised primarily for meat
Traits
Weight
  • Male:
    to 2,090 lb (950 kg)
  • Female:
    to 1,430 lb (650 kg)
Height
  • Male:
    to 4.76 ft (145 cm)
  • Female:
    to 4.43 ft (135 cm)
Skin colorFullblood are black Naturalean are black or reddish[2]
CoatFullblood are gray, some black hairs on head and spots over body Naturalean are solid black, or solid red
Horn statusFullblood are horned Naturalean may be polled

North American Piedmontese cattle are a breed of domestic beef cattle[3]: 128  originating from an imported herd of select Italian purebred Piedmontese cattle (Piemontese or razza bovina Piemontese). The foundation line of breeding stock was first imported from Italy into Canada in 1979, and into the United States in the early 1980s. Piedmontese cattle are distinguished by a unique,[4] naturally occurring gene identified as the myostatin allele mutation, or inactive myostatin gene.[3] Myostatin prohibits muscle growth whereas an inactive gene has the opposite effect. Purebred Piedmontese are homozygous, (2 copy), which means they have two identical alleles present for this unique gene. Research indicates the presence of the myostatin allele mutation produces morphological characteristics unique to the breed, such as double-muscling,[A] beef tenderness, reduced fat content and high yield. According to the North American Piedmontese Association (NAPA), they are the first breed registry to base animal registration requirements on the presence of this specific gene which can be easily verified by DNA testing.

  1. ^ "NATURALEAN - Trademark Details". Retrieved February 20, 2017.
  2. ^ "Piedmontese Categories of Registration and Recordation". Retrieved February 20, 2017.
  3. ^ a b Chiu, Lisa (May 1, 2006). When a Gene Makes You Smell Like a Fish: And Other Amazing Tales about the Genes in Your Body. Oxford University Press. p. 128. ISBN 9780198038009. Retrieved February 19, 2017. science North American Piedmontese breed of cattle has a unique gene.
  4. ^ Department of Animal Science; Oklahoma State University (1994–2005). "Piedmontese". Breeds of Livestock. Oklahoma State University Board of Regents. Archived from the original on June 17, 2013. Retrieved December 24, 2014.


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