DNA analysis shows that Indonesian zebu cattle have a unique origin with banteng (Bos javanicus) as part of their ancestry.
Throughout the world, cattle inhabit a range of climatically diverse environments: common taurine cattle, for example, are kept in temperate zones, zebus in hot, dry climates and yaks at the high altitudes of Tibet. A report published by the online, open-access, peer-reviewed journal PLoS ONE shows that another bovine species, the banteng, also made a genetic contribution to the ancestry of Indonesian cattle.