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Climate trends are exacerbating the challenges associated with raising beef cattle in desert rangelands. In the North American Southwest, where longer heat spells and extended drought periods are becoming more common, increasing levels of costly external inputs are required to wean a crop of marketable calves every year. A group of scientists at the United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service Jornada Experimental Range provided leadership for an international team of researchers who examined the feasibility of using heritage Criollo cattle as a climate adaptation tool in desert ranching systems. Criollo cattle exhibit phenotypes thought to be largely shaped by natural selection which is known to favor rusticity traits at the expense of rapid growth rates and offspring weight. Over the past 20 years, the team studied grazing behavior, animal production (including meat quality and yield), and the economics of raising Criollo cattle. A recent special issue of Journal of Arid Environment s titled ' Heritage cattle genetics as a potential climate adaptation strategy for producers in arid regions ' compiled 12 articles that report results from this large research effort. Fifteen years of research results largely confirmed anecdotal accounts regarding the desirable grazing traits present in Criollo cattle. Our data strongly suggest that Criollo heritage genetics could be an important adaptation tool for desert cow-calf systems. Raising Criollo cattle could be a means of strengthening the economic sustainability of desert beef cattle ranching systems