To our knowledge, this study represents the first
attempt to utilize ultrasound to compare s.c. adipose
tissue accretion in Bos taurus and Bos indicus cattle.
Whereas previous studies demonstrated that Bos
indicus influence caused decreased carcass fat thickness
(Crouse et al., 1989), this investigation demonstrated
clearly that s.c. adipose tissue accretion at the
12th-13th rib was not linear in Hereford and Brahman
calves born to Brahman dams. This finding may
be unique to this population of cattle. Lunt et al.
(1985) serially slaughtered HB steers from 169 to 421
kg live weight and demonstrated nearly linear increases
in s.c. adipose tissue thickness at the
12th-13th rib. Cattle of this investigation and that of
Lunt et al. (1985) were raised in the same location
under nearly identical conditions, so the basis for the
obvious differences between studies is not readily
apparent. The HB steers of Lunt et al. (1985) also
had acquired nearly twice the carcass fat thickness
(11.9 mm) by the final slaughter period that we
observed in our HB steers (5.4 mm), suggesting that
differences in populations of cattle, rather than
measurement techniques, were responsible for the
different patterns of s.c. adipose tissue accretion.