This Steve, Is an Auroch
I thought you said they were all dead
Well, yeah I guess your right... Hold on a sec...
Hah, what now?
Well, thats better, but its still just a cow Joe.
Steve! Its not just a cow... this is Bos primigenius, the greatest of all the cows predecessors.
Tell me you didn't just say that
Oh, come on steve, you have to think this is cool. These creatures are some of the most ancient
of the bovine race. Not only were they bigger and stronger than modern cows, but they were amung the first animals domesticated
by our very own ancient ancestors. Look, I'll prove it to you.
See, whad I tell you?
I really don't care
I'm not kidding Steve. You know how we learned in AP Global that modern animals like dogs
and horses all trace back to those domesticated by ancient humans?
You've really become obsessed with this haven't you Joe?
Well, cow's work the same way. The people who know about these kind of things believe that
all modern cattle breeds, like tasty Angus and our milk-making friend the Holstein, came from Aurochs.
That cave picture just looks like a normal cow, I don't see what the big deal is.
That's just because those Neolitic artists didn't have any sense of perspective. The Auroch
was the great black bull featured in anchient artwork and literature. Even Julius Ceasar s commented on how fierce they
are.
Like he spent his time philosiphising about cows?
Theyre not just cows! Or at least they weren't then. See, he said "They are
but a little less than Elephants in size, and are of the species, color, and form of a bull. Their strength is very great,
and also their speed. They spare neither man nor beast that they see. They cannot be brought to endure the sight of men, nor
be tamed, even when taken young. The people who take them in pitfalls assiduously destroy them; and young men harden themselves
in this labour, and exercise themselves in this kind of chase; and those who have killed a great number - the horns being
publicly exhibited in evidence of the fact - obtain great honour. The horns, in amplitude, shape and species, differ much
from the horns of our oxen. They are much sought after; and after having been edged with silver at their mouths they are used
for drinking vessels at great feasts."
Do you really think I'm going to read that?
Ah, yeah...
Anyway, these thing weren't like their tippable modern day equivilants. A modern day Steer
can weight up to about 4000 pounds and reach about 4' at the shoulder. How big do you think the Aurochs were?
Do I really have to do this?
Come on Steve, just guess
Phhh, uuuuuugh... Five foot two?
Try six feet! If we had one today, i wouldn't even be able to look it in the eye. Imagine
riding into town on one of those things?
Joe that's retarded
No its not. You could ride one if you had a saddle.
Joe, cow's hooves aren't ment for riding, theyd get messed up on the rode. Plus, you'd look like
an idiot.
Why would they get messed up? Could't you shoe the cow?
Good luck finding someone to do that. Besides, I don't even think they have the right kind of
hooves.
Well, I don't know about that Steve. But you just wait, when you see me coming down the street
one day riding a six foot tall, 6 thouand pound Auroch, then we'll see who's talking.
I just can't wait Joe, riding a bull would be just oodles and boodles of fun
Can I at least finish the story? I'm almost out of Auroch facts anyway.
Be my guest
Okay, so the Europeans had pretty much wiped out the Aurochs by the Middle Ages, and by the year 1300 or so it
only survived in East Prussia, Lithuania, and Poland. It would have disappeared completely during this time if it weren't
for a royal decree in Poland that protected it under threat of death. It lasted the longest in the Jaktorowski Royal Forest
in Mazowsze, where the local villagers acted as gamekeepers. Exempted from taxes, their only required task was to look after
the last herd of aurochs, but even this was not enough in the end to save them. In 1564, there were 22 mature cows, 3 young,
five calves, and eight bulls. By 1602 there were three males and one female. Eighteen years later there was only the female,
who was reported to have died in 1627.
Oh, my god Joe. You really know too much about this.
I thought it was really interesting. I never knew they're used to be giant cows.
How'd you get those pictures anyway?
I found them online
No, I mean where did they come from if the Aurochs checked out in the Middle Ages?
Ah, glad you asked Steve. *Steve feigns killing himself* In
1920 a group of German scientists attempted to recreate the Aurochs. Two brothers, Heinz and Lutz Heck, set up shop
in two different parks in Germany. They started with different breeds of cow, but eventually they both got a simmilar
result. Unforturnately for us, Lutz's breed failed, but the Heinz one is still around today. If you go to a zoo
and find an Auroch, its probably one of these. They have distinctly aurochs-like characteristics, but
are a little smaller than those in the fossil record. They even acted like wild animals.
Fasinating. You go have fun with your giant cows Joe.
Yeah, well even if they're not relly Aurochs, they still look cool... I'd want one.
