The aurochs was the ancestor of the European breeds of domestic cattle.

Statistics
Height at shoulder: 2m.

Physical description
The aurochs was much larger than modern cattle. Bull aurochs were much bigger than the cows and had longer horns that pointed forwards rather than swept out to the side. Cave paintings from various sites across south-west Europe, such as Lascaux in France, tell us that aurochs bulls were mostly black, some with a saddle patch of a lighter colour, whilst cows and calves were red in colour.

Distribution
At its maximum extent, the aurochs was found in southern and central Europe, North Africa, parts of the Middle East and across Asia as least as far east as India.

Habitat
Aurochs mainly inhabited forest and open scrub, but could be found in grasslands as well.

Diet
The aurochs ate a wide variety of plant food, grazing and browsing on grass, leaves and herbs.

Behaviour
Ancient Greek and Roman writers describe the aurochs as a very aggressive animal. A skeleton of an aurochs bull from Porlock has healed injuries that most likely resulted from fighting with another bull.

Reproduction
It is expected that aurochs mating, courtship and breeding will be very similar to that of wild breeds of domestic cattle, such as Chillingham Wild Cattle. These cattle can breed all year round, but most calves are produced in the spring or summer as poorer quality food in late autumn and winter delays the cows coming back into oestrus. The cows leave the herd to give birth, and the calves remain hidden for about a week before their mother brings them to the herd.

Conservation status
The aurochs became extinct in Britain during the Bronze Age, most likely due to over-hunting. It survived in mainland Europe for much longer. The very last aurochs died in Poland in 1627.

Notes
The original plural of aurochs was aurochsen, the same way the plural of ox is oxen. However, "aurochs" is generally used for both singular and plural nowadays.

Closest relative
The closest living relatives of the aurochs are the many breeds of European domestic cattle, Bos taurus.