Scientists Attempt to Resurrect Extinct Giant Ox

From Treehugger:

Photo: The Art Archive

Two million years ago, an enormous species of ox, called Aurochs, emerged from regions of northern India and migrated into Europe, long before the arrival of humans. Their massive size, standing at a height of over 6 feet, and 4 foot long horns inspired the earliest artists, painting them in the caves of Lascaux, France. The creatures were impressive enough to move Julius Caesar, who wrote of the primitive ox as being "a little smaller than an elephant, but with the color, appearance and shape of a bull. Their strength and speed are extraordinary." Aurochs were soon domesticated, and highly regarded for their resiliency to cold, heat, and famine. But, when the last primitive ox died in Poland in 1627 from poaching, it seemed the Aurochs would be lost forever--that is, until now.

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