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，丹麦国立博物馆
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)
异名
	Bos primigenius; Bojanus, 1827; Bos primigenius primigenius; (Bojanus, 1827);

原牛（学名：Bos taurus primigenius），是一种已灭绝的牛亚种，是现代家牛未驯化的野生近亲。最后一只于1627年在波兰灭绝。原牛出现在欧洲和西亚的石器时代的洞穴壁画中，显示它是重要的猎物。其英文名 Aurochs 和 Urus 起源于日耳曼语，意谓原始牛。^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5]^[6]

驯养及绝种

约公元前6000年，高加索南部及美索不达米亚北部开始驯养原牛，遗传证据显示北非及印度亦有另行驯化原牛^[7]^[8]，此一过程令原牛大为改变，甚至与现今的家牛变成另一亚种。

不过，今日欧洲的牛只是否起源自原牛的驯化过程，尚成疑问。虽然原牛早于铜器时代已从英国绝种，但遗传研究却发现当时的原牛与今日的牛种并无明显关连，有说认为欧洲家牛是直接由近东一带的原牛产生的后代。

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

参考文献

^ 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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