Aurochs died out in 1627 in Poland.
The last recorded live aurochs, a female, died in 1627 in the Jaktorów
(Jaktorowka) Forest, Masovia, Poland (Grubb, 2005).
They were a large breed of cattle, standing up to 1.8m in height, and were ancestor to modern domestic breeds. They were the bulls of cave paintings.
Aurochs had huge curved horns that characterized the breed – in some the horns could reach 80cm in length – and their legs were longer than modern cattle. Historical accounts suggests the beasts were fast and very aggressive. They were not afraid of humans, and if they were hunted would attack back in response. Evidence suggests the wild species began to be domesticated around 8,000 years ago.
A photograph of a cave painting of an aurochs bull in Lascaux,
France.
They were a large breed of cattle, standing up to 1.8m in height, and were ancestor to modern domestic breeds. They were the bulls of cave paintings.
Aurochs had huge curved horns that characterized the breed – in some the horns could reach 80cm in length – and their legs were longer than modern cattle. Historical accounts suggests the beasts were fast and very aggressive. They were not afraid of humans, and if they were hunted would attack back in response. Evidence suggests the wild species began to be domesticated around 8,000 years ago.
Previously people thought that the shoulder height of an aurochs
bull was approximately 200 cm and that of a cow 180 cm (Herre,
1953).
By the 13th century, populations of wild aurochs had fallen dramatically with their range restricted from human expansion. They had disappeared from Britain by 2,000 BC, but remained in eastern Europe until the 17th century.
In the 1930s, Nazi second in command Hermann Goering, in some weird atavistic fever, asked geneticists Heinz and Lutz Heck to re-create the extinct species. The Heck brothers – working independently - crossed Spanish fighting bulls with Highland cattle, along with primitive breeds from Corsica and Hungary. The result was a Nazi super cow. They were used for propaganda material during WWII – their bodies were huge and muscular, with massive horns – an illustration of the strength of the party.
There was a thinking that you could selectively breed animals – and indeed people – for 'Aryan' characteristics, which were rooted in runes, folklore and legend. What the Germans did with their breeding programme was create something truly primeval. While resembling aurochs, Heck cattle never matched the size and stature of the extinct species. The brothers only ever managed to breed the cattle to the size of domestic cows. However, the physical resemblance was strong – as was the aggressive temperament. After the war most were destroyed because they were so unmanageable.
By the 13th century, populations of wild aurochs had fallen dramatically with their range restricted from human expansion. They had disappeared from Britain by 2,000 BC, but remained in eastern Europe until the 17th century.
In the 1930s, Nazi second in command Hermann Goering, in some weird atavistic fever, asked geneticists Heinz and Lutz Heck to re-create the extinct species. The Heck brothers – working independently - crossed Spanish fighting bulls with Highland cattle, along with primitive breeds from Corsica and Hungary. The result was a Nazi super cow. They were used for propaganda material during WWII – their bodies were huge and muscular, with massive horns – an illustration of the strength of the party.
There was a thinking that you could selectively breed animals – and indeed people – for 'Aryan' characteristics, which were rooted in runes, folklore and legend. What the Germans did with their breeding programme was create something truly primeval. While resembling aurochs, Heck cattle never matched the size and stature of the extinct species. The brothers only ever managed to breed the cattle to the size of domestic cows. However, the physical resemblance was strong – as was the aggressive temperament. After the war most were destroyed because they were so unmanageable.
The
Augsburg aurochs. This painting is a copy of the original that was
present at a merchant in Augsburg in the 19th century. The original
probably dates from the 16th century. It is not known if the original as
well the copy still exist somewhere (Van Vuure, 2003).
A photograph of a cave painting of an aurochs bull in Lascaux,
France.
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