TY - JOUR
T1 - Bringing back the aurochs
T2 - By conjuring the extinct ancestor of modern cattle, breeders are making Europe just a little wilder (interview with Richard Crooijmans, Maulik Upadhyay and Johan van Arendonk)
AU - Stokstad, Erik
AU - Crooijmans, R.P.M.A.
AU - Upadhyay, Maulik
AU - van Arendonk, J.A.M.
PY - 2015/12/4
Y1 - 2015/12/4
N2 - The aurochs was the wild ancestor of modern cattle. With large horns and great strength, it inspired awe and fear until it went extinct in 1627. After a failed attempt to resurrect the aurochs in the 1930s, a new generation of biologists has been trying to back-breed a replica by combining traits from various heritage cattle. They hope that analysis of ancient DNA from fossilized aurochs will help guide and speed up the process. Already they are establishing herds of aurochs like cattle in various countries as part of an ambitious effort to rewild abandoned farmland and nature reserves in Europe.
AB - The aurochs was the wild ancestor of modern cattle. With large horns and great strength, it inspired awe and fear until it went extinct in 1627. After a failed attempt to resurrect the aurochs in the 1930s, a new generation of biologists has been trying to back-breed a replica by combining traits from various heritage cattle. They hope that analysis of ancient DNA from fossilized aurochs will help guide and speed up the process. Already they are establishing herds of aurochs like cattle in various countries as part of an ambitious effort to rewild abandoned farmland and nature reserves in Europe.
KW - Aurochs
U2 - 10.1126/science.350.6265.1144
DO - 10.1126/science.350.6265.1144
M3 - Article
SN - 0036-8075
VL - 350
SP - 1144
EP - 1147
JO - Science
JF - Science
ER -