Awe-inspiring aurochs that advanced humanity

The auroch (Bos primigenius), pronounced aw-rok (UK) or au-raak (US), played a leading role in our history. Etched into our past: from depictions in Pleistocene cave paintings in France to representing Zeus the Greek god in the story of Europe’s beginnings. Across past cultures aurochs symbolised strength and therefore, became synonymous with hunting honour. Julius Caesar's showed admiration for those 'who have slain the greatest number of them' saying they deserve 'great praise', as he mentions their extraordinary speed and strength in Commentarii de Bello Gallico.

However, it was some 10,000 years ago when aurochs notably helped humanity. The domestication of wild aurochs was central to the development of agriculture, and ultimately civilization. Cradles of civilization in India and the Fertile Crescent (Turkey and Egypt) both depended on aurochs to produce their own resources. They provided meat, leather, dairy, and transported people and goods. We became less dependent on foraging and hunting to survive, and human populations began to flourish.

How did aurochs compare to other cattle?

Aurochs are hailed as the ancestors of all modern cattle. One study narrows this lineage down to the domestication of 80 wild female aurochs in the Near East some 10,500 years ago. Three subspecies of wild aurochs have been identified: the Eurasian aurochs, the North African aurochs, and the Indian aurochs.

The modern domesticated taurine cattle breeds or European cattle are said to have come from the Eurasian aurochs. The North African aurochs were structurally similar to the Eurasian aurochs. The Indian aurochs were the first subspecies to exist and were domesticated as the zebu cattle.

Bison paving the path

A fellow member of the Bovidae family, bison are often confused with aurochs. There is a reason for this, they share similarities in behaviour as natural grazers and in size (up to 920 kg), but morphologically they clearly differ. Their stories are familiar though - both suffered at the hands of humans - only two populations of European bison survived up to the 20th century. Rewilding efforts to reintroduce bison have thankfully helped build populations, around 7,000 wild or semi-wild bison roam areas in Poland, Germany, France, and Spain.

Find out what it's like to see bison up close as Mossy Earth co-founder Duarte, has an encounter with a herd of bison on a Baltic Sea island or learn more about the return of the European bison and how, here at Mossy Earth, we are helping by monitoring reintroduced bison.

How aurochs can save ecosystems: a keystone species

The research teams behind this bold move to revive this extinct bovine believe aurochs can prevent the loss of habitats and positively affect biodiversity in Europe. They have a profound and defining impact on their environment in various ways, this is why they are known as a 'keystone species' in ecology.

For many thousands of years, large wild herbivores grazed and browsed Europe's lands which created open spaces for other life to prosper. Aurochs, a heavyweight grazer of vegetation, prevented landscapes from becoming intensely forested. Maintaining diverse landscapes from open soil to grasslands was deemed possible thanks to the daily grind of such herbivores. Bison and wild horses are other examples of herbivores who importantly shape ecosystems providing open and semi-open habitats for various flora and fauna. Therefore, reviving aurochs and reinstating them to this role in these habitats is vital for biodiversity - an impact of significance in the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.

Other ecological benefits of reviving aurochs

Besides grazing, these “ecological engineers” help species of animals, plants, and insects thrive in many other ways, such as:

• The disturbed soil after auroch's grazing and trampling makes space for pioneer plants to sprout.
• Smaller herbivores such as deer can find protection from predators in auroch herds.
• Birds can feed on cattle insects or use the fur to build nests.

Return of the aurochs

The aurochs filled an important role in Europe’s ecosystems and, though they have gone extinct, their genes are still present in modern cattle. Scientists have been trying to bring them back to life via a process known as back-breeding: crossbreeding domestic cattle with similar characteristics to their auroch ancestors. These include large stature, long legs, a slender and athletic build, horns curving forward, black coats in the males and reddish brown ones in females. Not forgetting, researchers are seeking to replicate the auroch's behaviours and genetics. The DNA analysis of a 6,700 year old auroch fossil is aiding the search.

The first attempt to bring back the auroch was made in the 1920s by German biologists Heinz and Lutz Heck. The result was a breed called the Heck cattle, with some resemblance to the original species. Today, rewilding projects are using a variety of domestic cattle breeds to fulfill the role of the auroch, like Heck cattle and Highland cattle. More recently attempts have been made to achieve a breed that is closer to the auroch.

• Tauros Programme by the Taurus Foundation in collaboration with Rewilding Europe and European Wildlife
• Taurus Project by the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Biologischer Umweltschutz in Germany 
• Uruz Project by the Nature Foundation, in Spain and Portugal
• Wetlands project by Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of Belarus, GEF and UNDP

What could go wrong with resurrecting and releasing aurochs?

Valid concerns of de-extinction processes have been raised to foresee complications and avoid negative consequences. The associated risks of reintroducing species such as aurochs have been presented in an article that applies the framework generated by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN): Guidelines on Reintroductions and Other Conservation Translocations. Some of the key considerations raised in the article include,

• Diseases: unknown rare diseases could be accidentally selected for breeding and passed onto the recreated species. De-extinct species are also at risk if they don't have resistance to new pathogens.
• Suitable release site: successful reintroductions require the correct habitat and range to be available now and in the future.
• Social feasibility and human concerns: the former relates to potential issues in policy and legislation, for instance if there are national veterinary requirements for new animals. The latter, questions the level of support from communities, and to what extent there will be impacts on local culture, economy and health. Fears of predatory attacks on people are common, while opportunities exist for local businesses through nature-based tourism.
• Ecological risk: although the primary goal of bringing back aurochs is ecological enrichment, caution is needed to avoid negative impacts on existing ecosystems. One area to monitor is inter-specific hybridization that can lead to genetic-based extinction of current animals.

Others points of discussion have also risen from the following areas of concern.

• Bio-objectification: where life is made into an object by humans. An ethical debate exists on whether organisms born out of extinction reversal procedures classify as bio-objects, used and controlled for human purposes.
• Identification of de-extinct species: As remade species may not possess the exact characteristics of extinct ones, the procedure of determining identity is open to discussion.
• De-extinction techniques could stifle the will to protect existing species.
• Some hold moral views against the notion of de-extinction itself, believing in a 'finality', where only new human-made species can derive from de-extinction projects.