Fast Company has an interesting story about cows in Puerto Rico that have a natural mutation that allows the cattle to thrive in hotter conditions than other conventional varieties of cattle. This might allow producers to grow cattle in areas that in the future will be too hot for cattle to do well. The mutation causes the cattle to have shorter hair and more active sweat glands that keep the cattle cooler and more comfortable in hot weather.

Slick cows (left) have shorter hair than those without the mutation (right). [Photo: Katherine Rapin]