Phenotypic Profiling and Multiple Correspondence Analysis of Morphological Traits in Indonesian Rambon Cattle

This research identified the qualitative morphological characteristics of Rambon cattle in Banyuwangi, East Java. A total of 101 animals were sampled, comprising 12 males and 89 females.Thirteen qualitative features pertaining to the head and body (muzzle color, horn shape, horn color, ear surface color, ear shape, eye contour, head shape, head color, chest shape, body shape, backline profile, rump color, and body color) were documented. The data were analyzed descriptively, employing chi-square tests for sex comparisons and Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA) to investigate multivariate trait relationships. Chi-square tests revealed statistically significant sex-related differences in horn color, head shape, head color, chest shape, rump color, and body color (p < 0.05); however, numerous other features exhibited similarity between males and females. MCA indicated that the initial two dimensions encompassed the majority of the category variation (about 83.6% combined), although the MCA plot displayed significant overlap across male and female categories. Consequently, while certain individual characteristics vary by sex, the overall multivariate morphology of Rambon cattle is predominantly common and does not facilitate distinct segregation of animals by sex. The initial phenotypic findings, considered alongside the significant sex imbalance in the sample, offer foundational information to facilitate further breed characterization, selection, and conservation strategies.