Beef and dairy cattle have steadily grown larger for the last 30 years, thanks to improved genetics and nutrition. This sounds like great progress, but bruising in finished cattle causes a substantial $35 million loss to the beef industry annually.

Marbling is the intramuscular fat that accounts for juiciness and flavor in cooked beef. This beef quality variable has received long-standing attention from the beef cattle industry and the animal science community. Consequently, much has been written about factors that influence marbling score.