Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Historical milestones in artificial insemination: Ilya Ivanovich Ivanoff pioneered practical large-scale scientific AI in horses, cattle, and sheep in Russia at the turn of the 20th century.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
History of Artificial Insemination (AI) in farm animals:
1. Lazzaro Spallanzani (1780): Successfully performed the world's first AI in a canine (dog).
2. Prof. Ilya Ivanovich Ivanoff (E. I. Ivanoff, 1899--1902): Pioneered and developed the first practical scientific methods of artificial insemination in cattle, sheep, and horses in Russia, establishing AI as a viable commercial breeding technology.
3. Dr. Sampath Kumaran (1939): Introduced artificial insemination in India at the Palace Dairy Farm, Mysore.
Step 3: Final Answer:
Therefore, first scientific AI in cattle and sheep was performed by E. I. Ivanoff, corresponding to option (C).