The aurochs[a] (Bos primigenius) (/ˈɔːrɒks/ or /ˈaʊrɒks/), also known as aurochsen, urus or ure, is a species of large wild cattle that inhabited Asia, Europe and North Africa. While the wild subspecies, including the nominal subspecies Bos primigenius primigenius is extinct, extant domestic cattle are considered subspecies of the aurochs. Further discussion and use of the term "aurochs" in this article, for simplicity, refer only to the extinct wild subspecies unless otherwise specified. Bos primigenius primigenius survived in Europe until 1627, when the last recorded aurochs died in the Jaktorów Forest in Poland.
During the Neolithic Revolution, at least two aurochs domestication events occurred: one related to the Indian aurochs (B. p. namadicus) leading to the zebu cattle, and the other related to the Eurasian subspecies Bos p. primigenius leading to the taurine cattle. In modern cattle, many breeds share characteristics of the aurochs, such as a dark colour in the bulls, with a light eel stripe along the back, the cows being a lighter colour, or an aurochs-like horn shape.[3]
Aurochs has been suggested to play 44 roles. Click below to see other actors suggested for each role, and vote for who you think would play the role best.
