the yak, Bos grunniens. This long-haired,
bushy-tailed cousin of the common cow is
beautifully adapted to the thin, cold, dry air
and sparse vegetation of the Tibetan plateau
and mountains of central Asia. It was
domesticated around the same time as
lowland cattle. Yak milk is substantially
richer in fat and protein than cow milk.
Tibetans in particular make elaborate use of
yak butter and various fermented products.
The Goat The goat and sheep belong to the
“ovicaprid” branch of the ruminant family,
smaller animals that are especially at home in
mountainous country. The goat, Capra hircus,
comes from a denizen of the mountains and
semidesert regions of central Asia, and was
probably the first animal after the dog to be
domesticated, between 8000 and 9000 BCE in
present-day Iran and Iraq. It is the hardiest of
the Eurasian dairy animals, and will browse
just about any sort of vegetation, including