Aurochs: Difference between revisions
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{{Mergefrom|Indian Aurochs|Eurasian Aurochs|North African Aurochs}} |
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{{Distinguish|Wisent}} |
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{{Taxobox |
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| fossil_range = Late [[Pliocene]] to [[Holocene]] |
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| status = EX |
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| status_system = IUCN3.1 |
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| status_ref =<ref>{{IUCN2008|assessors=Tikhonov, A. |year=2008 |id=136721 |title=Bos primigenius |downloaded=5 January 2008}}</ref> |
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| extinct = 1627 |
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| image = Ur-painting.jpg |
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| image_width = 250px |
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| image_caption = [[Augsburg]] depiction of an Aurochs |
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| regnum = [[Animal]]ia |
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| phylum = [[Chordate|Chordata]] |
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| classis = [[Mammal]]ia |
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| ordo = [[Artiodactyla]] |
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| familia = [[Bovidae]] |
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| subfamilia = [[Bovinae]] |
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| genus = ''[[Bos]]'' |
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| species = †'''''B. primigenius''''' |
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| binomial = †''Bos primigenius'' |
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| subdivision_ranks = Subspecies |
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| subdivision = |
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''Bos primigenius primigenius''<br /> |
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<small> ([[Ludwig Heinrich Bojanus|Bojanus]], 1827)</small><br /> |
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''Bos primigenius namadicus''<br /> |
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<small> ([[Hugh Falconer|Falconer]], 1859)</small><br /> |
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''Bos primigenius mauretanicus''<br /> |
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<small> ([[Oldfield Thomas|Thomas]], 1881)</small> |
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| synonyms = ''Bos mauretanicus'' <small>Thomas, 1881</small><br /> |
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''Bos namadicus'' <small>Falconer, 1859</small> |
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}} |
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The '''aurochs''' or '''urus''' ('''''Bos primigenius'''''), the ancestor of domestic [[cattle]], was a type of huge wild cattle which inhabited [[Europe]], [[Asia]] and [[North Africa]], but is now [[extinct]]; it survived in Europe until 1627. |
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The aurochs was far larger than most modern domestic cattle with a shoulder height of {{Convert|2|m|ft}} and weighing {{Convert|1000|kg|lb|-2}}. Domestication occurred in several parts of the world at roughly the same time, about 8,000 years ago. It was regarded as a challenging quarry animal, contributing to its extinction. |
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The last recorded live aurochs, a female, died in 1627 in the Jaktorów Forest, [[Poland]] and its skull is now the property of [[Livrustkammaren]] in [[Stockholm]]. |
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Aurochs appear in prehistoric cave paintings, [[Julius Caesar]]'s ''The Gallic War'' and as the national symbol of many [[Europe]]an countries, states and cities such as [[Alba-Iulia]], [[Kaunas]], [[Romania]], [[Moldavia]], [[Coat of arms of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern|Mecklenburg-Vorpommern]], and [[Uri (canton)|Uri]]. |
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In 1920, [[Germans|German]] biologists the Heck brothers attempted to recreate aurochs. The resulting cattle are known as [[Heck cattle]] or Reconstructed Aurochs, and number in the thousands in Europe today with varying resemblance to original aurochs but without such impressive size. |
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==Nomenclature== |
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[[Image:Bos primigenius Vig uroksen.jpg|thumb|left|This specimen is from around 7500 BC and is one of two very well preserved aurochs skeletons found in Denmark. The Vig-aurochs can be seen at The National Museum of Denmark. The circles indicate where the animal was wounded by arrows.]] |
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The words "aurochs", "urus", and "[[wisent]]" have all been used [[synonym]]ously in English.<ref>AHD4, headwords "aurochs", "urus", "wisent".</ref><ref>MWU, headwords "aurochs", "urus", "wisent".</ref> However, the extinct aurochs/urus is a completely separate species from the still-extant wisent (the European bison). |
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The animal's original scientific name, ''Bos primigenius'', was meant as a [[Latin]] translation of the [[German language|German]] term ''{{lang|de|Auerochse}}'' or ''{{lang|de|Urochs}}'', which was (possibly incorrectly) interpreted as literally meaning "primeval ox" or "proto-ox". This scientific name is now considered invalid by [[Integrated Taxonomic Information System]] (ITIS), who classify aurochs under ''Bos taurus'' – the same species as domestic cattle. In 2003, however, the [[International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature]] "conserved the usage of 17 specific names based on wild species, which are pre-dated by or contemporary with those based on domestic forms",<ref>[http://www.iczn.org/BZNSep2006general_articles.html BZN 63(3) General Articles & Nomenclatural Notes<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> confirming ''Bos primigenius'' for the Aurochs. Taxonomists who consider domesticated [[cattle]] a subspecies of the wild Aurochs should use ''B. primigenius taurus''; the name ''B. taurus'' remains available for domestic cattle where it is considered to be a separate species. |
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[[Image:Tur ZHerberstein pol XVIw small.jpg|thumb|left|Illustration from [[Sigismund von Herberstein]]'s book published in 1556 captioned "I'm 'urus', ''{{Lang|pl|tur}}'' in Polish, ''{{lang|de|aurox}}'' in German ([[dunce]]s call me [[bison]])";<br />Latin original: ''{{lang|la|Urus sum, polonis Tur, germanis Aurox: ignari Bisontis nomen dederant}}'']] |
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The word "aurochs" ({{pron-en|ˈaʊrɒks}} or {{IPA-en|ˈɔrɒks|}}) comes to English from German, where its normal spelling and [[declension]] today is ''{{lang|de|Auerochs/Auerochse}}'' (singular), ''{{lang|de|Auerochsen}}'' (genitive), ''{{lang|de|Auerochsen}}'' (plural). The declension in English varies, being either "aurochs" (singular), "aurochs" (plural)<ref>AHD4, headword "aurochs".</ref><ref name="MWU, headword aurochs">MWU, headword "aurochs".</ref> or "aurochs" (singular), "aurochses" (plural).<ref name="MWU, headword aurochs"/> The declension "auroch" (singular), "aurochs" (plural), acknowledged by MWU,<ref name="MWU, headword aurochs"/> is a [[English plural#Plural to singular by back-formation|back-formation analogous to "pea"-from-"pease"]] derived from a misinterpretation of the singular form ending in the /s/ sound (being cognate to "ox/Ochs(e)"). The use in English of the plural form "{{lang|de|aurochsen}}" is not acknowledged by AHD4 or MWU, but is mentioned in ''The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language''.<ref>{{cite book|last=Crystal|first=David |authorlink=David Crystal |title=The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language|publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]]|year=2003 |edition=2nd ed.|isbn=0521530334}}</ref> It is directly parallel to the German plural and analogous (and [[cognate]]) to English "ox" (singular), "oxen" (plural). |
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The word "urus" ({{IPA|/ˈjʊərəs/}}) comes to English from Latin, but may have come to Latin from Germanic origins.<ref name="AHD4, headword urus">AHD4, headword "urus".</ref> It declines in English as "urus" (singular), "uruses" (plural).<ref name="AHD4, headword urus"/><ref>MWU, headword "urus".</ref> The Germanic ''{{lang|de|aurochs}}'' itself has evolved from the [[Proto-Indo-European language|Proto-Indo-European]] ''{{lang|art|*táwros}}'', just like Ancient Greek {{lang|el|ταϋρος}} (''{{lang|el|tauros}}''), Latin ''{{lang|la|taurus}}'' and Slavic ''{{Lang|sla|[[wikt:tur|tur]]}}'' ([[Proto-Slavic]]: *''{{lang|sla|turъ}}''). |
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==Origin== |
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[[Image:Long horned european wild ox.jpg|right|thumb|An Aurochs fighting a [[Eurasian Wolf]] pack.]] |
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According to the [[Paleontologisk Museum]], [[University of Oslo]], aurochs evolved in [[India]] some two million years ago, migrated into the [[Middle East]] and further into [[Asia]], and reached [[Europe]] about 250,000 years ago.<ref>[http://www.toyen.uio.no/palmus/galleri/montre/english/a31922.htm Paleontologisk Museum]</ref> They were once considered a distinct species from modern European [[cattle]] (''Bos taurus''), but more recent taxonomy has rejected this distinction.{{Citation needed|date=November 2009}} The South Asian domestic cattle, or [[zebu]], descended from a different group of aurochs at the edge of the [[Thar Desert]]; this would explain the zebus' resistance to [[drought]]. Domestic [[yak]], [[gayal]] and [[Javan cattle]] do not descend from aurochs. Modern cattle have become much smaller than their wild forebears. Aurochs were about {{Convert|1.75|m|ft|sigfig=2}} tall, while a large domesticated cow is about {{Convert|1.5|m|ft}} and most domestic cattle are much smaller than this.<ref>[http://www.mycattle.com/health/dsp_health_article.cfm?storyid=9204 Height] of [[Holstein]] cows (at hips – note that cattle are often slightly taller at the withers than the hips).</ref> Aurochs also had several features rarely seen in modern cattle, such as [[lyre]]-shaped horns set at a forward angle, a pale stripe down the spine, and [[sexual dimorphism]] of coat color. Males were black with a pale [[eel stripe]] or [[finching (cattle)|finching]] down the spine, while females and calves were reddish (these colours are still found in a few domesticated cattle breeds, such as [[Jersey cattle]]). Aurochs were also known to have very aggressive temperaments and killing one was seen as a great act of courage in ancient cultures.{{Citation needed|date=April 2009}} |
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=== Subspecies === |
=== Subspecies === |
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There are a total of three recognized subspecies of aurochs. Only the Eurasian subspcies survived until recent times. |
There are a total of three recognized subspecies of aurochs. Only the Eurasian subspcies survived until recent times. |
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*The '''Eurasian subspecies''' (''Bos primigenius primigenius'') once ranged across the [[steppe]]s and [[taiga]]s of [[Europe]], [[Siberia]], and [[Central Asia]]. It is one of the famous [[Pleistocene megafauna]]s, and has declined in numbers along with other megafauna species by the end of [[Pleistocene]]. The Eurasian aurochs were domesticated into modern [[cattle]] |
*The '''Eurasian subspecies''' (''Bos primigenius primigenius'') once ranged across the [[steppe]]s and [[taiga]]s of [[Europe]], [[Siberia]], and [[Central Asia]]. It is one of the famous [[Pleistocene megafauna]]s, and has declined in numbers along with other megafauna species by the end of [[Pleistocene]]. The Eurasian aurochs were domesticated into modern [[cattle]] breeds at around 6th millenium BC. Aurochs were still common in [[Europe]] by the time of the [[Roman Empire]], when they were widely popular as a battle beast in [[Roman arena]]s, and excessive hunting began and continued until it was nearly extinct. By the 13th century, aurochs existed only in low numbers in [[Eastern Europe]], and hunting of aurochs became a privilege of nobles, and later royal households. The decreased hunting did not save the aurochs from extinction, as its numbers were already too low to survive for long. The last recorded live aurochs, a female, died in 1627 in the Jaktorów Forest, [[Poland]] from natural causes. |
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*The '''Indian subspecies''' (''Bos primigenius namadicus'') once lived in the hot and dry areas of [[India]] and [[Middle East]]. It is the first subspecies of the aurochs to appear, at 2 million years ago, and from it descends the [[Eurasian Aurochs]] and the [[North African Aurochs]].{{Fact|date=January 2010}} The Indian Aurochs became extinct in 9000 BC, and before that the remaining population were domesticated into the [[zebu]]s. The zebu is the main type of cattles used in dry areas, due to its resistance to drought, from which it got from the desert living Indian aurochs. |
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*The '''North African subspecies''' (''Bos primigenius mauretanicus'') once lived in the woodland and shrublands of [[North Africa]]. It is descended from the [[Indian Aurochs]], which arrived from Middle East. It is unknown when the North African Aurochs became extinct, but it is known that it is extinct due to the [[desertification]] of North Africa into the [[Sahara Desert]]. Prior to its extinction the [[Ancient Egyptians]] domesticated the North African Aurochs into the [[Egyptian cattle]],{{Fact|date=January 2010}} which is the main type of cattle in the Mediterranean region until the introduction of [[zebu]]s from India, which slowly replaced the Egyptian cattles in the region. |
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==Behavioral patterns== |
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The recovery pattern of aurochs remains lead to the belief that they preferred swampy and [[Wet woodland|wet wooded]] areas and, like modern cattle, could swim for short distances enabling them to inhabit islands within their range. Their diet is thought to have consisted of green grass and leaves with occasional tree fruits. Aurochs species were found to have lived on the island of [[Sicily]] where once there was a land bridge to Italy. After disappearance of the land bridge, Sicilian aurochs evolved to a size 20% smaller than their mainland relatives. Although the [[European bison]] prefers drier forest they would most certainly have lived in areas overlapping aurochs territory. Little else is known about Aurochs habits. Although they survived until the 17th century in Poland they were in competition with modern cattle for food and hunted by humans contributing to their extinction.<ref name="Aurochs Extinct Species, Mammals">Cis T Van Vuure, Retracing the Aurochs: History, Morphology and Ecology of an Extinct Wild Ox, [http://www.petermaas.nl/extinct/speciesinfo/aurochs.htm Aurochs (Extinct Species, Mammals)], The Extinction Website</ref> |
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==Domestication and extinction== |
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[[Image:Bos primigenius Czaszka tura.jpg|right|thumb|Skull of an aurochs.]] |
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[[Image:Jaktorow pomnik tura.jpg|right|thumb|Monument to the last aurochs in [[Jaktorów]], Poland.]] |
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Domestication of the aurochs began in the southern [[Caucasus]] and northern [[Mesopotamia]] from about the 6th millennium BC, while genetic evidence suggests that aurochs were independently domesticated in northern [[Africa]] and in [[India]].<ref>(see Shaffer and Liechtenstein 1995, 1999)</ref> The modern domesticated cattle descended from the aurochs are so different in size that they have been regarded as a separate species<ref name="Aurochs Extinct Species, Mammals"/>. |
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[[File:Acheulean Bos primigenius horn (M.A.N. 1984-28-8107b) 01.jpg|thumb|left|210px|Aurochs horn from 200,000 years [[Before Present|BP]] found near [[Madrid]] ([[Spain]])]] |
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[[Genetic testing|Comparison]] of aurochs bones with those of modern cattle has provided many insights about the aurochs. Remains of the beast, from specimens believed to have weighed more than a ton, have been found in [[Mesolithic]] sites around [[Goldcliff]], [[Wales]].<ref>{{cite episode |
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| title = Rescuing a Mesolithic foreshore |
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| url = http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/T/timeteam/2004_gold.html |
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| series = Time Team |
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| serieslink = Time Team |
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| airdate = 2004-02-22 |
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| season = 11 |
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| number = 8}}</ref> Though aurochs became extinct in Britain during the [[Bronze age]], analysis of bones from aurochs that lived in the same age as domesticated cattle there showed no genetic contribution to modern breeds. As a result, modern European cattle are now thought to have descended directly from the [[Near East]] domestication event. Indian cattle ([[zebu]]), although domesticated eight to ten thousand years ago, are related to aurochs which diverged from the Near Eastern ones some 200,000 years ago. African cattle are thought to descend from aurochs more closely related to the Near Eastern ones. The Near East and African aurochs groups are thought to have split some 25,000 years ago, probably 15,000 years before domestication. The "[[Turano-Mongolian]]" type of cattle now found in Northern China, Mongolia, Korea and Japan may represent a fourth domestication event (and a third event among ''[[Bos taurus]]''–type aurochs). This group may have diverged from the Near East group some 35,000 years ago. Whether these separate genetic populations would have equated to separate subspecies is unclear. |
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The original range of the aurochs was from [[Great Britain|Britain]] and [[Ireland]] and southern [[Scandinavia]], to northern [[Africa]], the [[Middle East]], [[India]] and central Asia. By the 13th century A.D., the aurochs' range was restricted to [[Poland]], [[Lithuania]], [[Moldavia]], [[Transylvania]] and [[East Prussia]]. The right to hunt large animals on any land was restricted to nobles and gradually to the royal household. As the population of aurochs declined, hunting ceased but the royal court still required gamekeepers to provide open fields for the aurochs to graze in. The gamekeepers were exempted from local taxes in exchange for their service and a decree made [[poaching]] an aurochs punishable by death. In 1564, the gamekeepers knew of only 38 animals, according to the royal survey. The last recorded live aurochs, a female, died in 1627 in the Jaktorów Forest, [[Poland]] from natural causes. The skull was later taken by the [[Swedish Army]] during the [[Deluge (history)|Swedish invasion of Poland]] (1655–1660) and is now the property of [[Livrustkammaren]] in [[Stockholm]]. The causes of extinction were hunting, a narrowing of habitat due to the development of farming, climatic changes and diseases transmitted by domestic cattle.<ref>[http://74.125.93.132/search?q=cache:6TgwOZ4DwyIJ:agtr.ilri.cgiar.org/agtrweb/Documents/Library/docs/agri16_95.pdf+Mieczyslaw+Rokosz+Aurochs&cd=6&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ca&client=firefox-a HISTORY OF THE AUROCHS (BOS TAURUS PRIMIGENIUS) IN POLAND by Mieczyslaw Rokosz’; Published in Animal Genetic Resources Information (1995) published under the joint auspices of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations Envirornment Programme (UNEP)] (Pdf of 1995 issue of the Animal Genetic Resources Information - This publication contains the papers presented during a workshop held at the Willem Prinsloo Agricultural Museum in Pretoria in March 1994. [http://agtr.ilri.cgiar.org/agtrweb/Documents/Library/docs/agri16_95.pdf]); A more readable on-line copy without bibliography [http://users.aristotle.net/~swarmack/aurohist.html] Retrieved 2009-12-22</ref> |
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==Attempts at breeding back== |
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[[Image:Heck cattle male.jpg|thumb|left|[[Heck cattle]]]] |
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In the 1920s two German zoo directors (in [[Berlin]] and [[Munich]]), the brothers [[Heinz Heck|Heinz]] and [[Lutz Heck]], began a [[selective breeding]] program in the attempt to breed the aurochs back into existence (see ''[[breeding back]]'') from the domestic cattle that were their descendants. Their plan was based on the concept that a species is not extinct as long as all its genes are still present in a living population. The result is the breed called ''[[Heck cattle]]'', "Recreated Aurochs", or "Heck Aurochs", which bears some resemblance to what is known about the appearance of the wild aurochs.<ref name="Aurochs Extinct Species, Mammals"/> |
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Scientists of Polish Foundation for Recreating the Auroch (PFOT) in Poland now want to use the DNA stored in the bones of aurochs displayed in museums to recreate the aurochs and return these animals to the forests of Poland which they symbolised in the Middle Ages. The project has gained the support of the Polish Ministry of the Environment. They plan research on ancient preserved DNA. Similar research projects have been run in the West over the past twenty years and their results published in such periodicals as ‘Nature’ and ‘Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA’. Polish scientists believe that modern genetics and biotechnology make recreating an animal almost identical to aurochs possible (99 percent gene compatibility). They say this research will lead to examining the causes of the extinction of the aurochs, and help in preventing a similar situation occurring among domestic cattle.<ref>[http://www.naukawpolsce.pap.pl/palio/html.run?_Instance=cms_naukapl.pap.pl&_PageID=1&s=szablon.depesza&dz=szablon.depesza&dep=68335&data=&lang=EN&_CheckSum=-442536143 Polish geneticists want to recreate the extinct auroch; 2007-11-28; Science and Scholarship in Poland; Polish Press Agency (PAP)]</ref> |
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== Aurochs in art, history, mythology, and media == |
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{{seealso|Bull (mythology)}} |
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[[Image:Lascaux-aurochs.jpg|thumb|Aurochs on a [[cave painting]] in [[Lascaux]], [[France]].]] |
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*Aurochs are depicted in many Paleolithic European [[cave painting]]s such as those found at [[Lascaux]] and [[Livernon]] in [[France]]. Early carvings of the aurochs have also been found. The impressive and dangerous aurochs survived into the [[Iron Age]] in [[Anatolia]] and the [[Near East]], and was worshipped throughout that area as a sacred animal, the [[Bull (mythology)|Lunar Bull]], associated with the [[Great Goddess]] and later with [[Mithras]]. |
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*A 1999 archaeological dig in [[Peterborough]], England, uncovered the skull of an aurochs. The front part of the skull had been removed but the horns remained attached. The supposition is that the killing of the aurochs in this instance was a sacrificial act. |
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*Aurochs are depicted on the [[Ishtar Gate]]. |
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*The ancient name of the [[Estonia]]n town of [[Rakvere]], ''Tarwanpe'' or ''Tarvanpea'', probably derives from ''Auroch's head'' (''Tarva pea'') in ancient [[Estonian language|Estonian]]. A 3.5m high and 7.1m long Statue of an Aurochs was opened in Rakvere in 2002, for the town's 700th birthday. The sculpture, made by artist [[Tauno Kangro]], has become a symbol of the town.<ref>[http://www.rakvere.ee/print.php?main=518 Rakvere linn] {{et icon}}</ref> |
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<!-- *The [[Hebrew Bible]] contains numerous references to the untameable strength of ''[[re'em]]'', traditionally translated as "[[unicorn]]" but recognized for the last century as Aurochs.<ref>The identification was first made by Johann Ulrich Duerst, ''Die Rinder von Babylonian, Assyrien und Ägypten''(Berlin, 1899:7-8), and was generally accepted, as by Salo Jonas, "Cattle Raising in Palestine" ''Agricultural History'' '''26'''.3 (July 1952), pp. 93-104</ref> --> |
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*The wild-ox called ''re'em'' (Strong's # 07214) in the [[Bible]] (Numbers 23:22 and 24:8, Deuteronomy 33:17, Job 39:9–10, Psalms 22:21, 29:6, 92:10 and Isaiah 34:7) is occasionally associated with the aurochs and has incorrectly been translated as "unicorn" in the past (''The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia,'' Entry for 'Wild Ox', Copyright, 1939, by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.). |
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*Julius Caesar wrote about them in ''Gallic War'' Chapter 6.28, "...those animals which are called uri. These are a little below the elephant in size, and of the appearance, color, and shape of a bull. Their strength and speed are extraordinary; they spare neither man nor wild beast which they have espied. These the Germans take with much pains in pits and kill them. The young men harden themselves with this exercise, and practice themselves in this sort of hunting, and those who have slain the greatest number of them, having produced the horns in public, to serve as evidence, receive great praise. But not even when taken very young can they be rendered familiar to men and tamed. The size, shape, and appearance of their horns differ much from the horns of our oxen. These they anxiously seek after, and bind at the tips with silver, and use as cups at their most sumptuous entertainments." |
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[[Image:Flag of Moldavia.svg|thumb|right|Possible version of a Moldavian princely flag in use during the time of [[Stephen the Great]] ]] |
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*An aurochs head, the traditional arms of the German region [[Mecklenburg]], is included in the [[coat of arms of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern]]. The aurochs ("bour" in [[Romanian language|Romanian]]) was also the symbol of [[Moldavia]]; nowadays they can be found in the coat of arms of both [[Coat of arms of Romania|Romania]] and [[Coat of arms of Moldova|Moldova]]. The horn of the aurochs is a charge of coat of arms of [[Tauragė]], [[Lithuania]]. It is also present in the emblem of [[Kaunas]], Lithuania, and was part of the emblem of [[Bukovina]] during its time as a ''[[Cisleithania|Kronland]]'' of [[Austria-Hungary]]. The Swiss Canton of [[Canton of Uri|Uri]] is named after the aurochs. Its yellow Flag shows a black aurochs head. |
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*The last lines of [[Vladimir Nabokov]]'s ''[[Lolita]]'' are: "I am thinking of aurochs and angels, the secret of durable pigments, prophetic sonnets, the refuge of art. And this is the only immortality you and I may share, my Lolita." |
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*East Slavic surnames Turenin, Turishchev, Turov, [[Cyril of Turaw|Turovsky]] originate from the East Slavic name of the species (Tur).<ref>Russian Surnames. Popular Etymological Dictionary. Yu. A. Fedosyuk. 6th Ed.</ref> |
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*[[Turopolje]], a large lowland floodplain south of the [[Sava]] river in [[Croatia]], got its name after the once abundant aurochs (Croatian: {{Lang|hr|tur}}). |
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*American heavy metal band [[The Sword]] recorded a song entitled "Lament of the Aurochs" on their debut album [[Age of Winters]]. |
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<!-- Please do not add every random usage of aurochs to this list! Just because it's mentioned in passing in some book doesn't mean it is important... |
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--> |
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== See also == |
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{{portal|Paleontology}} |
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* [[Chillingham Cattle]] |
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* [[Irish Elk]] |
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* [[Ur (rune)]] |
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* [[Wisent]] |
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* [[Gaur]] |
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* [[Banteng]] |
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* [[Zebu]] |
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==Notes== |
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{{reflist|2}} |
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==References== |
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* American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th edition (AHD4). [[Houghton Mifflin]], 2000. Headwords ''aurochs'', ''urus'', ''wisent''. |
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* Bunzel-Drüke, M. 2001. ''Ecological substitutes for Wild Horse'' (Equus ferus Boddaert, 1785 = E. przewalslii Poljakov, 1881) and ''Aurochs'' (Bos primigenius Bojanus, 1827). Natur- und Kulturlandschaft, Höxter/Jena, 4, 10 p. AFKP. [http://www.abu-naturschutz.de/_dnload/substitu.pdf Online pdf (298 kB)] |
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* C. Julius Caesar. ''Caesar's Gallic War.'' Translator. W. A. McDevitte. Translator. W. S. Bohn. 1st Edition. New York. Harper & Brothers. 1869. Harper's New Classical Library. |
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* International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature. 2003. ''Opinion 2027 (Case 3010).'' Usage of 17 specific names based on wild species which are pre-dated by or contemporary with those based on domestic animals (Lepidoptera, Osteichthyes, Mammalia): conserved. Bull.Zool.Nomencl., 60:81–84. |
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* [http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com Merriam-Webster Unabridged] (MWU). (Online subscription-based reference service of [[Merriam-Webster]], based on Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged. Merriam-Webster, 2002.) Headword ''aurochs''. Accessed 2007-06-02. |
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*[[Jim Shaffer|Shaffer, Jim G.]] (1995). Cultural tradition and Palaeoethnicity in South Asian Archaeology. In: Indo-Aryans of Ancient South Asia. Ed. George Erdosy. ISBN 8121507901 |
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* Shaffer, Jim G. (1999). Migration, Philology and South Asian Archaeology. In: Aryan and Non-Aryan in South Asia. Ed. Bronkhorst and Deshpande. ISBN 1-888789-04-2. |
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* Vuure, T. van. 2002. ''History, morphology and ecology of the Aurochs'' (''Bos primigenius''). Lutra 45-1. [http://members.chello.nl/~t.vanvuure/oeros/uk/lutra.pdf Online pdf (603 kB)] |
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* Vuure, C. van. 2005. ''Retracing the Aurochs: History, Morphology and Ecology of an Extinct Wild Ox.'' Pensoft Publishers. Sofia-Moscow. |
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* Wilson, Don E. and DeeAnn M. Reeder: ''Mammals''. <!-- Where's the pub info for Wilson & Reeder? --> |
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==External links== |
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*[http://www.petermaas.nl/extinct/speciesinfo/aurochs.htm The Extinction Website - Aurochs (''Bos primigenius primigenius'')] |
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*[http://users.aristotle.net/~swarmack/aurochs.html History of aurochs in Poland] |
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*[http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/biology/b103/f05/web3/mmichalak.html Breeding Back the Aurochs] 2005, web-paper by student Magdalena Michalak at [[Bryn Mawr College]], near [[Pennsylvania]], [[Philadelphia]]. |
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[[Category:Extinct animals of Europe]] |
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[[Category:Megafauna of Eurasia]] |
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[[Category:Extinct mammals]] |
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[[Category:Bovines]] |
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[[Category:Pliocene mammals]] |
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[[Category:Pleistocene mammals]] |
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[[Category:Holocene extinctions]] |
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[[Category:Recent extinctions]] |
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[[Category:Prehistoric bovids]] |
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[[Category:Extinct animals of Asia]] |
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*The '''Indian subspecies''' (''Bos primigenius namadicus'') once lived in the hot and dry areas of [[India]] and the [[Middle East]]. It is the first subspecies of the aurochs to appear, at 2 million years ago, and from it descends the [[Eurasian Aurochs]] and the [[North African Aurochs]].{{Fact|date=January 2010}} The Indian Aurochs became extinct in 9000 BC, and before that the remaining population was domesticated into the [[zebu]]. The zebu is the primary breed of cattle used in dry areas, due to its resistance to drought, which it got from the desert-living Indian aurochs. |
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{{Link FA|ar}} |
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*The '''North African subspecies''' (''Bos primigenius mauretanicus'') once lived in the woodland and shrubland of [[North Africa]]. It is descended from the [[Indian Aurochs]], which migrated from the Middle East. It is unknown when the North African Aurochs became extinct, but it is known that its extinction was due to the [[desertification]] of North Africa as the [[Sahara Desert]] expanded. Prior to its extinction the [[Ancient Egyptians]] domesticated the North African Aurochs into [[Egyptian cattle]],{{Fact|date=January 2010}} which was the primary breed of cattle in the Mediterranean region until the introduction of [[zebu]] from India, which slowly replaced Egyptian cattle in the region. |
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[[ar:أرخص]] |
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[[be-x-old:Тур]] |
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[[ca:Ur (bòvid)]] |
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[[ko:오록스]] |
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Revision as of 06:22, 21 January 2010
Subspecies
There are a total of three recognized subspecies of aurochs. Only the Eurasian subspcies survived until recent times.
- The Eurasian subspecies (Bos primigenius primigenius) once ranged across the steppes and taigas of Europe, Siberia, and Central Asia. It is one of the famous Pleistocene megafaunas, and has declined in numbers along with other megafauna species by the end of Pleistocene. The Eurasian aurochs were domesticated into modern cattle breeds at around 6th millenium BC. Aurochs were still common in Europe by the time of the Roman Empire, when they were widely popular as a battle beast in Roman arenas, and excessive hunting began and continued until it was nearly extinct. By the 13th century, aurochs existed only in low numbers in Eastern Europe, and hunting of aurochs became a privilege of nobles, and later royal households. The decreased hunting did not save the aurochs from extinction, as its numbers were already too low to survive for long. The last recorded live aurochs, a female, died in 1627 in the Jaktorów Forest, Poland from natural causes.
- The Indian subspecies (Bos primigenius namadicus) once lived in the hot and dry areas of India and the Middle East. It is the first subspecies of the aurochs to appear, at 2 million years ago, and from it descends the Eurasian Aurochs and the North African Aurochs.[citation needed] The Indian Aurochs became extinct in 9000 BC, and before that the remaining population was domesticated into the zebu. The zebu is the primary breed of cattle used in dry areas, due to its resistance to drought, which it got from the desert-living Indian aurochs.
- The North African subspecies (Bos primigenius mauretanicus) once lived in the woodland and shrubland of North Africa. It is descended from the Indian Aurochs, which migrated from the Middle East. It is unknown when the North African Aurochs became extinct, but it is known that its extinction was due to the desertification of North Africa as the Sahara Desert expanded. Prior to its extinction the Ancient Egyptians domesticated the North African Aurochs into Egyptian cattle,[citation needed] which was the primary breed of cattle in the Mediterranean region until the introduction of zebu from India, which slowly replaced Egyptian cattle in the region.