Cattle have been domesticated by humans for approximately 10,000 years - HSC - SSCE Biology - Question 34 - 2023 - Paper 1

Biotechnologies can significantly influence the biodiversity of cattle by promoting both increases and decreases in genetic variation.

Artificial insemination enables genetic material from superior animals to be distributed widely. This can lead to a reduction in genetic diversity as high-performing bulls are used repeatedly, leading to lower variability among offspring.

Selective breeding directly targets desired traits, which may reduce biodiversity as breeding is often focused on specific characteristics such as milk production or growth rates. This may diminish the gene pool, as fewer individuals contribute genetically.

Whole organism cloning has not seen widespread success in cattle due to low cloning rates, but it demonstrates a risk to biodiversity if clones dominate the population, thereby reducing genetic variation.

Hybridisation can enhance biodiversity by combining traits from different species, such as Bos taurus and Bos indicus, potentially creating robust offspring that possess advantageous traits from both breeds. However, if hybridized cattle dominate, this could reduce the distinct genetic identities of original breeds.

Transgenic organisms present another dimension by introducing genes from other species. While this may provide beneficial traits, it risks overshadowing the natural genetic variability in traditional cattle breeds, potentially reducing biodiversity.

In conclusion, while biotechnologies have the potential to enhance productivity and resilience in cattle, they also pose significant risks to the genetic diversity of cattle populations, necessitating careful management to ensure biodiversity is preserved.