Beefalo are the fertile offspring of domestic cattle and American bison. Crosses also exist between domestic cattle and European bison (zubrons), and yaks (yakows). The name given to beefalo might be the most suggestive, since the breed was purposely created to combine the best characteristics of both animals with an eye towards beef production. A USDA study showed beefalo meat, like bison meat, tended to be lower in fat and cholesterol. They are also thought to produce less damage to rangeland than cattle.