Super Cow, or Belgian Blue, is a breed of beef cattle from Belgium that is best known for its sculpted, heavily muscled appearance, known
as "double-muscling." The double-muscling phenotype is a heritable condition which results in anincreased number of muscle fibers (hyperplasia) rather than the normal enlargement of individual muscle fibers
(hypertrophy).
These unique animals, which appear to be pumped up on steroids, actually acquired the double-muscling through years of genetic
selection. Using natural selection, they are able to artificially inseminate cows with scientifically selected sperm from the strongest bulls. So, each generation of new
cows become bigger and stronger with double muscle mass for leaner and better beef.
The condition was first documented in 1807 by a livestock observer named George Culley.
The breed originated in central and upper Belgium in the nineteenth century by crossing local breeds with a Shorthorn breed of cattle from the United Kingdom. The modern beef breed was developed in the 1950s by Professor Hanset, who was working at an artificial insemination center in Liege province.
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