In some parts of the world, such as Africa and Asia, domestic cattle appear very similar to the animals that inhabited those areas thousands of years ago. However, in Europe and the Americas, a number of relatively new breeds have been developed through controlled breeding efforts. Most of the breeds have derived from the species Bos taurus and Bos indicus, but vary significantly from the original strains since they have been altered to improve strength, milk production, or quality of meat, depending on the intended use of the animal. Indeed, selective breeding efforts began even before the field of genetics was developed. Typically credited with commencing these efforts is Robert Bakewell, an English farmer who introduced philosophies such as “like begets like” and “breed the best to the best” in the eighteenth century.