原牛

原牛; 化石时期：更新世早期到全新世， 0.781–0.0 Ma PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N ▼
	原牛化石，丹麥國立博物館
保护状况
	; 绝灭（1627年）（IUCN 3.1）
科学分类
界：	动物界 Animalia
门：	脊索动物门 Chordata
纲：	哺乳纲 Mammalia
目：	偶蹄目 Artiodactyla
科：	牛科 Bovidae
属：	牛属 Bos
种：	黄牛 B. taurus
亚种：	†原牛 B. t. primigenius
三名法
	†Bos taurus primigenius; (Bojanus, 1827)
異名
	Bos primigenius; Bojanus, 1827; Bos primigenius primigenius; (Bojanus, 1827);

原牛（學名：Bos taurus primigenius），是一種已滅絕的牛亚种，是現代家牛未馴化的野生近亲。最後一隻於1627年在波蘭滅絕。原牛出現在歐洲和西亞的石器時代的洞穴壁畫中，顯示牠是重要的獵物。其英文名 Aurochs 和 Urus 起源於日耳曼語，意謂原始牛。^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5]^[6]

馴養及絕種

約公元前6000年，高加索南部及美索不達米亞北部開始馴養原牛，遺傳證據顯示北非及印度亦有另行馴化原牛^[7]^[8]，此一過程令原牛大為改變，甚至與現今的家牛變成另一亞種。

不過，今日歐洲的牛隻是否起源自原牛的馴化過程，尚成疑問。雖然原牛早於銅器時代已從英國絕種，但遺傳研究卻發現當時的原牛與今日的牛種並無明顯關連，有說認為歐洲家牛是直接由近東一帶的原牛產生的後代。

最后一只原牛活动在波兰西部森林中，於1627年死於自然因素，最后一只原牛的死亡宣告了这一物种野生种群的灭绝。

參考文献

^ Bunzel-Drüke, M. Ecological substitutes for Wild Horse and Aurochs (PDF). Natur- und Kulturlandschaft, Höxter/Jena. 2001, 4 [2006-12-17]. （原始内容 (pdf)存档于2006-03-09）.
^ Don E. Wilson; DeeAnn M. Reeder. Mammal Species of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press. Nov 2005. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0.
^ 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.
^ Vuure, T. van. History, morphology and ecology of the Aurochs (Bos primigenius) (pdf). Lutra 45-1. 2002 [2006-12-17]. （原始内容存档 (PDF)于2011-08-29）.
^ Vuure, C. van. Retracing the Aurochs: History, Morphology and Ecology of an Extinct Wild Ox. Sofia-Moscow: Pensoft Publishers. 2005.
^ C. Julius Caesar. W. A. McDevitte. and W. S. Bohn. trans , 编. Caesar's Gallic War 1st Edition. New York: Harper & Brothers, Harper's New Classical Library. 1869.
^ Shaffer, Jim G. Cultural tradition and Palaeoethnicity in South Asian Archaeology. Ed. George Erdosy (编). Indo-Aryans of Ancient South Asia. 1995. ISBN 978-3-11-014447-5.
^ Shaffer, Jim G. Migration, Philology and South Asian Archaeology. Ed. Bronkhorst and Deshpande (编). Aryan and Non-Aryan in South Asia. 1999. ISBN 978-1-888789-04-1.

[Bunzel-1] Bunzel-Drüke, M. Ecological substitutes for Wild Horse and Aurochs (PDF). Natur- und Kulturlandschaft, Höxter/Jena. 2001, 4 [2006-12-17]. （原始内容 (pdf)存档于2006-03-09）.

[Wilson-2] Don E. Wilson; DeeAnn M. Reeder. Mammal Species of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press. Nov 2005. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0.

[ICZN-3] 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.

[Vuure2002-4] Vuure, T. van. History, morphology and ecology of the Aurochs (Bos primigenius) (pdf). Lutra 45-1. 2002 [2006-12-17]. （原始内容存档 (PDF)于2011-08-29）.

[Vuure2005-5] Vuure, C. van. Retracing the Aurochs: History, Morphology and Ecology of an Extinct Wild Ox. Sofia-Moscow: Pensoft Publishers. 2005.

[Caesar-6] C. Julius Caesar. W. A. McDevitte. and W. S. Bohn. trans , 编. Caesar's Gallic War 1st Edition. New York: Harper & Brothers, Harper's New Classical Library. 1869.

[shaffer1995-7] Shaffer, Jim G. Cultural tradition and Palaeoethnicity in South Asian Archaeology. Ed. George Erdosy (编). Indo-Aryans of Ancient South Asia. 1995. ISBN 978-3-11-014447-5.

[shaffer1999-8] Shaffer, Jim G. Migration, Philology and South Asian Archaeology. Ed. Bronkhorst and Deshpande (编). Aryan and Non-Aryan in South Asia. 1999. ISBN 978-1-888789-04-1.

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