Major Contribution: Dairy, meat, and hide production.

Some claim that cows may be the world’s oldest form of wealth, and today, remain an especially important aspect in the international economy. Most likely they were domesticated during the Stone Age and have since been used as meat, for dairy production, for their hides, as draft animals, and, in some places, even in sports. Today, they are still essential. In fact, in some ways their importance has grown. In 2000, it was estimated that cows contributed $30 billion to the beef industry and the same to the dairy industry.