Like its North American Cousin, the European Bison, Also Known as Wisent or the European Wood Bison are not Buffalo.

 The root *wis-, also found in weasel, originally referred to the animal's musk.

Animal

The European bison, also known as wisent or the European wood bison, is a Eurasian species of bison. It is one of two extant species of bison, alongside the North American bison. Three subspecies have existed in the past, but only one survives today. In the 17th century, the Caucasian wisent still populated a large area of the Western Caucasus. After that human settlement in the mountains intensified and the range of the Caucasian wisent became reduced to about one tenth of its original range at the end of the 19th century. In the 1860s the population numbered still about 2000, but was reduced to only 500-600 in 1917, and only 50 in 1921 poaching continued; in 1927, the three last Caucasian bison were killed.

A Hybrid in Poznań Zoo

Only one Caucasian bison bull is known to have been in captivity. This bull, named Kaukasus, was born in the Caucasus Mountains in 1907 and brought to Germany in 1908 where he lived until 26 February 1925.

While in captivity, he bred with cows from the lowland subspecies Bison bonasus bonasus.[3] Thus, he became one of the twelve ancestors of the present Caucasian–lowland breeding line of the European wisent pedigree book.
European Bison are smaller than their better-known North American Bison relatives. They have a body length between 2.1 and 3.1 m (7 - 10 ft), a tail length between 30 and 60 cms (12 - 24 inches) and females typically weigh between 300 and 540 kgs (660 - 1,190 lbs) and males between 400 and 920 kgs (880 - 2,028 lbs), although some large bulls have been recorded at 1,000 kgs (2,200 lbs) or more.Scientific name: Bison bonasus

European Bison are smaller than their better-known North American Bison relatives. They have a body length between 2.1 and 3.1 m (7 - 10 ft), a tail length between 30 and 60 cms (12 - 24 inches) and females typically weigh between 300 and 540 kgs (660 - 1,190 lbs) and males between 400 and 920 kgs (880 - 2,028 lbs), although some large bulls have been recorded at 1,000 kgs (2,200 lbs) or more.

European Bison have shorter hair than the American Bison, but strangely, they tend to have hairier tails. Their head is set at a slightly higher angle than the American Bison, and this means they tend to browse more from slightly higher foliage, and graze less from ground-level grasses.

European Bison are less tamable than American Bison, and as such they breed less readily with domestic cattle.

Habitat

European Bison used to inhabit temperate, coniferous forests in much of Europe. From Russia and southern Sweden, down to the Balkans and Northern Spain. However for centuries their numbers have dwindled as they were hunted and driven out of their natural habitat due to forestry and farming. Slowly the European Bison was eradicated from countries across Europe and in 1927 the last wild European Bison was killed by poachers in southern Russia. In that year fewer than 50 European Bison existed, all of them in zoos.

Thankfully, since then numbers of the European Bison have been gradually increased and a number of herds have been returned to the wild in several countries. European Bison can now be found in nature reserves in Poland, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Latvia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova and Spain. There are plans to reintroduce the animal to additional reserves in Germany and the Netherlands.

Higher classification: Bison

Conservation status: Vulnerable (Population increasing)

Mass: 610 kg (Adult)

Gestation period: 266 days

Trophic level: Herbivorous The English word 'bison' was borrowed around 1611from Latin bisōn (pl. bisontes), itself from Germanic. The root *wis-, also found in weasel, originally referred to the animal's musk.

The word bonasus was first mentioned by Aristotle in the 4th century BC when he precisely described the animal, calling it bόνασος (bonasus) in Greek. He also noted that the Paeonians called it mόναπος (monapos).

Walking With Bears

As seen by fans of the  hell rasen, or is it raisin, rooten tooten Two Gun Kid.

Run he's about to attack us.

Stories of ferocious attacks by blood-thirsty bears on defenceless hikers make great lead stories in the media. The overwhelming sense conveyed in these stories is that bears are dangerous, mean creatures that are an extreme threat to people in any circumstance. This, of course, is inaccurate at best and unhelpful at worst.

Another commonly held myth is that bears are cuddly creatures that resemble the teddy bears we owned as kids. While there is no doubt that bears have the power to trigger children’s imaginations, it is important that the stories we share with our children be based on facts rather than fantasy.

It is important to dispel both myths – the one based on fear, and the other based on a misplaced belief that bears are tame cuddly animals.

Bears are intelligent and resourceful wild mammals that deserve our respect. A greater knowledge of the behaviour, ecology and habitat needs of bears is crucial if we are to learn to co-exist peacefully with these magnificent creatures.

• Bears are not about to attack, if standing on hind legs, they are simply wanting a better view.
• The bear would easily out run you if it were in the mood to attack, A young grizzly is perfectly capable of climbing trees. 
• Most all bears are omnivorous, the long grizzly bear claws used mainly to tear apart decaying logs in order to get at insect grubs,one of the grizzly's favourite foods.
• Grizzlies are a lot more fun
  
  
   than you would ever suspect-just treat them with due respect-the same respect you might claim for yourself.
  

Despite apparent differences in size and colour, black bears and grizzly bears are often difficult to tell apart. Why is this important? Every year, black bear hunters kill several grizzly bears by mistake, which can have dire consequences for local grizzly bear populations.

It is extremely important to know which species is which when you can encounter a bear in your community or in the back country.

Black Bears can be black, blue-black, dark brown, brown, cinnamon and even white. Grizzlies, likewise, may range in colour, from black to blond. Although grizzly bears are, on average, significantly larger than black bears, size is not a good indicator of which species is which. Male black bears in Manitoba’s Riding Mountain National Park, for instance, can weigh up to 800 pounds in the fall, and female grizzly bears on Alberta’s Eastern Slopes can weigh as little as 250 pounds in the spring.

The best indicators are the size of the shoulders, the profile of the face and the length of the claws. The grizzly bear has a pronounced shoulder hump, which the black bear lacks. It also has a concave or “dished” facial profile, smaller ears and much larger claws than the black bear. Black bears have a flatter, “Roman-nose” profile, larger ears, no visible shoulder hump and smaller claws.

The best thing people can do for bears; replace misconceptions with facts.

Bears have fascinated humans for millennia. As one of the most adaptable and versatile mammals on earth, their behaviour stirs fear, awe, wonder, and curiosity in us. Unfortunately, there are still many myths surrounding the lives and behaviour of bears that negatively impact our relationships with them.

Stories of ferocious attacks by blood-thirsty bears on defenceless hikers make great lead stories in the media. The overwhelming sense conveyed in these stories is that bears are dangerous, mean creatures that are an extreme threat to people in any circumstance. This, of course, is inaccurate at best and unhelpful at worst.

Another commonly held myth is that bears are cuddly creatures that resemble the teddy bears we owned as kids. While there is no doubt that bears have the power to trigger children’s imaginations, it is important that the stories we share with our children be based on facts rather than fantasy.

It is important to dispel both myths – the one based on fear, and the other based on a misplaced belief that bears are tame cuddly animals.

Bears are intelligent and resourceful wild mammals that deserve our respect. A greater knowledge of the behaviour, ecology and habitat needs of bears is crucial if we are to learn to co-exist peacefully with these magnificent creatures. 

The Myths and the Factual Truths

  

Myth: Bears are unpredictable. 

Fact: Bears use body language and vocalizations to show their intentions. Learning about bear behaviour can be beneficial to people who live or recreate in bear country.

Myth: Bears can’t run down hill. 

Fact: Bears can run more than 60 kilometers an hour, and they can do it up hills, down hills or along a slope. To put that in perspective, that’s 15 m/sec or 50 ft/sec – more than twice as fast as we can run. Further fact, a bear can outrun a racehorse over short distances; but, has little endurance.

Myth: A bear standing on its hind legs is about to charge. 

Fact: Actually, a bear standing on its hind legs is just trying to better identify what has caught its attention. As I’m sure you’ll agree, it’s much easier to see, hear and smell things from a standing position, than down on all fours.

Myth: Once a bear has tasted human food, he won’t eat wild food any more. 

Fact: Bears prefer natural, wild food unless it is difficult to find and human food is too easy to get. Even the worst food-conditioned bears still eat natural foods whenever they’re plentiful. Conflicts usually increase when natural foods run out – a good time to be more vigilant of bear attractants on your property; such as bird feed, pet food, fruit trees/berry bushes, barbecue grease and compost. 

Myth: Bear bells are the best way to avoid a surprise encounter. 

Fact: It’s best to alert bears of your presence by talking loudly, singing songs or breaking sticks. Try to hike in a group, on established trails, during daylight hours.  

Myth: If a bear charges you, climb a tree. 

Fact: Despite all their timidness on the ground, black bears seem to feel more courageous in trees. Bears sometimes kill each other by throwing their opponents out of trees. The bear below has the advantage because the bear above cannot easily hang on and face downward to fight back. Also the lower bear seems confident of these advantages and some bears have even come up trees after people who thought climbing was prudent. Grizzlies, too, can climb – perhaps not as quickly, but they have been known to attack people who climbed trees to escape. 

Myth: Bears are carnivores.

Fact: Although classified in the order carnivora, grizzly and black bears are omnivores because they eat both plants and animals. Only a small percentage of their diet consist of meat, which includes fish, insects and other mammals (the exact percentage is dependant on the type of food is available in their habitat).The only truly carnivorous bear in the entire world is the polar bear and even that is changing, due to human interference.

Myth: Bears have poor eyesight.

Fact: Bears see in colour and have good vision similar to humans. Their night vision is excellent and they are particularly attuned to detecting movement. Like many animals, bears’ eyes have a reflective layer called the tapetum lucidum lining the back of the eyeball. This layer reflects light back through the retina, allowing light to stimulate light-sensitive cells in the retina a second time, thereby improving night vision. This is what gives dogs, cats and many nocturnal animals that distinct, bright green eye shine when they are flashed with a light at night.

Myth: Bears that wander into inhabited areas such as camp-sites, rural towns or cottage communities are dangerous

Fact: It is nearly impossible for a bear to make its daily excursions without walking through someone’s private property. Bears may travel hundreds of kilometres in their search for food. If you have stored your food and garbage properly, the bear will likely move on. Remember, problem bears aren’t born, they’re created through mismanagement of human food and garbage. If bears are hanging around, something is attracting them. Removing the attraction will usually solve the problem. 

Myth: Shooting or relocating a ‘nuisance’ bear will solve the problem

Fact: Removing the bear and not the attractant will only create an opportunity for another bear to move in, creating a vicious cycle of conflict and killing.

Myth: Carrying a rifle is safer than bear pepper spray

Fact: A person’s chance of incurring serious injury from a charging grizzly doubles when bullets are fired versus when bear pepper spray is used (Dr. Stephen Herrero). Those injured defending themselves with bear pepper spray experienced shorter attacks and less severe injuries than those who chose to use firearms (US Fish and Wildlife Service). Click here to read the full report. Bears are actually attracted to pepper spray residue if it is sprayed on the ground or on objects. Never spray it around a tent or on yourself. When used defensively, pepper spray must be sprayed directly in the attacking bear’s eyes or nose. Click here for more information.

Myth12: One of the most dangerous encounters is getting between a mother black bear and her cubs

Fact: Because black bears can tree their cubs, it is rare for them to attack a person in defence of cubs. However, if you are anywhere near a mother grizzly’s cubs, she might very well perceive you as a threat. The chances are good that she will just bluff charge and stop well short of physical contact. You need to do whatever you can to show her that you are not a threat, otherwise the consequences could be tragic. Be quiet, make yourself smaller and retreat.

Myth: People travelling in bear country are often attacked.

Fact: Bear attacks are extremely rare. Bison are the animal that kill most humans -each and every year. Although there are thousands of human-bear encounters every year, only a very few result in personal injury. Most bears will actually retreat before you are even aware of their presence. It is still important, however, to stay alert and know what to do.

Myth: It is dangerous for a woman to go into bear country when menstruating

Fact: Current evidence suggests that menstruation does not increase the likelihood of an attack by a black, or grizzly bear, but tampons are recommended over pads. They may be disposed of by burning and then packing out the remains. 

Myth: Play dead during an attack.

Fact: Playing dead will work if you’re being attacked by a mother grizzly defending her cubs.

But it is the wrong thing to do if you’re being attacked by a predatory bear. If a bear attacks (particularly a black bear) in an offensive manner and physical contact is made, fight for your life. Kick, punch, hit the bear with rocks or sticks or any improvised weapon you can find. 

A predatory bear usually stalks its prey and attacks from behind. It is often silent and the bear does not exhibit any defensive behaviours like huffing or slapping the ground. Its ears may be laid back and its head held low, with its intent focused directly on you. 

Bears are normally shy, retiring animals that have very little desire to interact with humans.Black bears will often live near human settlements, whereas grizzly bears prefer to stay as far away as possible. .

Understanding bear behaviour is an essential part of creating safe environments for both bears and people. More often than not, bear behaviour is misinterpreted. People all too often interpret what a bear does in terms of their own fear. To truly understand bear behaviour, you must interpret bear postures and vocalizations in terms of what the bear fears.

Bears have fascinated humans for millennia. As one of the most adaptable and versatile mammals on earth, their behaviour stirs fear, awe, wonder, and curiosity in us. Unfortunately, there are still many myths surrounding the lives and behaviour of bears that negatively impact our relationships with them.

Always Remember:

Bears are predictable. In fact, bears are usually more predictable than people. If you learn more about bears and how to interpret their behaviour, you will be able to react appropriately when you see them and avoid a negative encounter.

Bears are NOT ferocious. They are NOT mean, or malicious. Bears are normally shy, retiring animals that have very little desire to interact with humans. Unless they are forced to be around humans to be near a food source, they usually choose to avoid us.

Bears, like humans and other animals, have a “critical space” – an area around them that they may defend. Once you have entered a bear’s critical space, you have forced the bear to act – either to run away or be aggressive. The size of the critical space is different for every bear and every situation.

Although black bears and grizzly bears do share some common traits, it’s important to understand the difference in the way they react to perceived threats. Each species has evolved different strategies for survival. Black bears, for instance, are usually less aggressive and more tolerant of people. They often live near human settlements, whereas grizzly bears prefer to stay away from human settlements and are often extirpated from heavily used or populated areas.

Black bears are excellent climbers. When a black bear is threatened he usually runs from the perceived threat or goes up a tree. With cubs out of danger, female black bears don’t have to make vigorous defences that risk potential injury. Although black bears tend to retreat from people, they are still incredibly strong animals that can cause injuries.

Today, grizzly bears tend to live in coastal or mountain forests, but they evolved in treeless habitat that influenced their behavioural response to perceived threats. For instance, they are more likely than black bears to defend themselves when threatened. A black bear’s first line of defence is retreat, but grizzlies, especially sows with cubs, can be very aggressive towards other bears and people they perceive as threats.

While grizzlies especially adults are not good tree climbers, it’s important to note that they can climb trees. However, a mother grizzly will usually aggressively defend her cubs on the ground rather then send them up a tree as a black bear sow will.

Bears are very curious and will inspect odours, noises and objects to determine if they are edible or playable. Standing up on its hind legs allows a bear to get more information from its senses of smell, sight and hearing. It is a sign of curiosity, not aggression.

Bears are usually active from dawn to dusk, but they may be seen any time of day or night. Bears in many places of high human use have become nocturnal in order to avoid people. While others have become habituated to people in order to gain access to their plentiful buffet of improperly stored garbage and other attractants.

Bears can be very social. Bears are often described as asocial when compared to wolves, chimps or lions, but to use the term “asocial” to describe bears is incorrect.

While bears do not live in extended family groups or join in hunts, they can co-exist in very close proximity to each other and in fact form alliances and friendships – some adult bears have even been known to mentor younger unrelated bears; young unrelated adolescents hang around in pairs and even groups (likely because there is strength in numbers). The bears of a region are usually familiar with one another and meetings consist of complex social exchanges. Some bears like each other and other simply don’t tolerate one another in their respective home ranges – not unlike people’s relationships with each other.

Bears are not territorial. Being territorial means keeping other members of your species away from a given area. Wolves and primates(including all the, so called, HUMAN species)are territorial – bears are not. 

Bears,share home ranges. This mutual use of land and resources is a basis for bear social behaviour.

Bears habituate, or become accustomed, to people just like they do other bears. Because plentiful food resources can be localized – salmon in a stream or berries on a mountainside – bears have evolved behaviour that allows them to tolerate each other at close distances. This behaviour is transferred to their relationship with humans. If they are not shot or harassed, bears habituate to people the same way they do to each other.

Bears live in a dominance hierarchy based on age, size and temperament. Mature males are at the top of the hierarchy, and sub-adults and cubs at the bottom. Bears establish and maintain their social position and place in the hierarchy by posturing or acting aggressively. Single females and sub-adult adolescents are almost always submissive to mature males but have a loose hierarchy within their own group.

Bears react to new things in their environment. New objects or situations often frighten bears. Behaviourists call this “strange object response.” After an initial fright, bears will often investigate what alarmed them. This is not an aggressive act and shouldn’t be regarded as one.

Bears are not always aware. Bears, particularly adult brown bears, are not always aware of what is going on around them. A bear following a trail doesn’t always look ahead. He may be distracted by a yummy food source or may not be able to hear over the loud sounds of rushing water or blowing wind. A bear can literally blunder into an unsuspecting person.

Relation Between Humans and Polar Bears:

The interactions between humans and Polar Bears have a long existence. Some of them have been good relationships and others seem to threaten the well being of the other. Early writings and oral stories passed along from generation to generation indicate that many cultures were very respectful of Polar Bears. They understand these large creatures were dominant in their world. They also believed that human souls could take on the form of Polar Bears. Many of their rituals involved honouring the Polar Bears as well.

On the other side of that you have those cultures that found Polar Bears to be a great source of food. They would hunt them and use all but the liver from these animals for their survival. They too were very thankful for the Polar Bear, and only used what they needed to in order to survive.

It wasn’t until much later that Polar Bears and humans started to have huge conflicts. As humans began moving into the territory of these animals, the fights ensued. Humans have always felt they could take over any area they wanted regardless of the natural habitat it would destroy in the process. The Polar Bear was willing to stay and fight for their own survival. Even when they did move to other locations, they often found themselves stepping on the toes of humans in that region too.

The commercial hunting of Polar Bears almost drove them to extinction. The misconception was that there were very powerful bears with a taste for human blood. Therefore they were to be hunted and destroyed so they couldn’t kill humans. With advanced tools and hunting techniques, these efforts were successful at slaughtering huge numbers of them. Many avid hunting fans took part in such expeditions simply for the challenge of killing such a large animal.

Polar Bears have found their way to the list of Endangered Animals.

However, most humans don’t see to care that they are on there. They would like to see such conservation efforts go towards other animals. 

Paranoid humans, especially those with an extreme persecution complex, don’t like the fact that such a predator is out there-- being protected. Yet, we all need to understand that the Polar Bear remains at the top of the food chain. Should they be destroyed that entire pyramid of balance will come crashing down. ~~Al (Alex-Alexander) D Girvan.

If Indeed, Some Of You Still Require Such; More Proof That Something Desperately Needs To Be Done About Air Pollution.

Not so long ago, our ancestors, fathers mothers, uncles aunts knew an ELK

- on sight. They also knew that a Wapiti 

(found only in North America; mostly in Canada) was not an ELK. AND that an Elk did not, even remotely, resemble a mouse.

Mice are a large group of mammals, with more than 130 species found worldwide. In Alberta, there are 7 species of mice and 12 species of voles.

The most troublesome and economically important of the species found in Alberta are the house mouse

(which is not a native species), the white-footed mouse

and the meadow vole commonly called field mouse).

(

Economic Losses to Mice.

There is no way of placing a monetary value on human suffering and damage caused by mice. The greatest loss is probably not what mice eat, but what is wasted and contaminated. In six months, one pair of mice can eat more than two kilograms (4 lbs.) of food and deposit about 18,000 droppings. Food contaminated by mice is about ten times greater than the amounts eaten. Food wasted by mouse nibbling is also much more than the amount eaten. So common are mice that it is no wonder their hairs and sometimes droppings, end up in all types of food commodities, from canned beans to loaves of bread.

Structural damage caused by rodents can be expensive. In recent years the trend toward use of insulated confinement facilities to raise swine and poultry, for instance, has led to increased rodent damage. Mice are very destructive to rigid foam, fibreglass batt, and other types of insulation in walls and attics of such structures.

Mice also gnaw wooden structures causing grain and feed to be wasted. They also undermine buildings by burrowing, which eventually causes structural failure and collapse.

Electrical wiring gnawed by mice causes many fires each year, listed as "cause unknown".

Public Health Impact.

Mice and their parasites are implicated in the transmission of a number of diseases including salmonellosis, rickettsia pox and most recently hantavirus. Bacterial food poisoning occurs when foods become contaminated with infected rodent droppings. Mice also carry many types of tapeworms and roundworms, infectious to pets and humans. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, which causes severe illness and even death in humans, is transmitted by several mouse species including the white-footed mouse.

To reduce the risk of contracting organisms transmitted by mice, you should practise these common sense precautions:

·         Eliminate mice from residential areas by removing food sources and access for mice.

·         Clean up mouse-contaminated areas by using wet methods, including disinfectants such as Chlorine Bleach.

·         Handle mice and other rodents with gloved hands.

·         Avoid sweeping and vacuuming when possible, and wear a dust mask to reduce exposure to fine dust particles.

·        Campers should avoid obviously infested areas. In high risk areas wear a high efficiency, particulate respirator.

·        Discourage children from playing with or trapping mice. Wild mice should not be kept as pets, or for "science projects".

·         De-worm household and farmyard pets regularly. ~~Al (Alex-Alexander) D. Girvan.

State Symbols of the United States of the Americas, Many Dont Exist in That or any State.

Though we will probably never know the reasons why; the United States of the Americas, from their very conception. has always had great difficulty with the English language, respecting the rights, property, and traditions of other countries, and in thinking globally, or even beyond its own borders, except that is, to steal from others. We do know that without their domineering, and obstinate interference, there would be a lot less world conflict.

Home on the Range, the State song of Kansas, original words by Dr. Brewster Higley, a man who, obviously, knew very little about the animals, or, plants, native to North America. In any case, as per usual, like most people living in that area (now United States of the Americas), he got things, just little, screwed up.

VERSE 1:

Oh, give me a home where the buffalo roam,

Where the deer and the antelope play,

Where seldom is heard a discouraging word

And the sky is not clouded all day.

VERSE 2:

Oh, give me the gale of the Solomon vale,

Where life streams with buoyancy flow,

On the banks of the Beaver, where seldom if ever

Any poisonous herbage doth grow.

Free, wild buffalo and antelope have never existed in the Americas. Much of the native herbage (berries, fruits, vegetables, plants in general) growing along the banks of the Beaver- or any river, stream, brook- anywhere in the Americas is, indeed poisonous, to some degree..

State Animals-Mammals

Alaska state land animal-moose= elk, known round the globe.

Kansas state animal-United States of the Americas buffalo= bison.

Maine state animal-moose= elk, known round the globe.

Texas state animal-Texas Longhorn= Spanish Longhorns, evolved from several ancient BREEDS of cattle, brought to the Americas; by, of course, the Spanish.

Utah state animal- elk=Wapiti, is not an elk, exists only in North America.©Al (Alex-Alexander) D Girvan. All rights reserved.

The Ancestor of Domestic Cattle-they are not all cows and they do not reproduce asexually..

Restoration of the aurochs based on a bull skeleton from Lund and a cow skeleton from Cambridge, with chart of characteristic external features of the aurochs

The aurochs (Bos primigenius), the ancestor of many domestic cattle, was a type of large wild cattle which inhabited Europe, Asia and North Africa, but which is now extinct; it survived in Europe until the last recorded aurochs, a female probably a cow, died in the Jaktorów Forest, Poland in 1627. Her skull is now the property of the Livrustkammaren ("Royal Armory") museum in Stockholm, Sweden.

The word "aurochs" comes to ENGLISH from German, where its normal spelling and declension today is Auerochs/Auerochse (singular), Auerochsen (genitive), Auerochsen (plural). The declension in English varies, being either "auroch" (singular), "aurochs" (plural) or "aurochs" (singular), "aurochses" (plural). The declension "auroch" (singular), "aurochs" (plural), acknowledged by MWU, is a back-formation analogous to "pea"-from-"pease" derived from a misinterpretation of the singular form ending in the /s/ sound (being cognate to "ox/Ochs(e)"). The use in English of the plural form "aurochsen" is not acknowledged by AHD4 or MWU, but is mentioned in The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language. It is directly parallel to the German plural and analogous (and cognate) to English "ox" (singular), "oxen" (plural).

The words "aurochs", "urus", and "wisent" have all been used synonymously; however, the extinct aurochs/urus is a completely separate species from the still-extant wisent. The two were often confused, and some 16th century illustrations of aurochs and wisents have hybrid features. The word urus (/ˈjʊərəs/) comes to English from Latin, but may have come to Latin from Germanic origins- such as English. It declines in English as urus (singular), uruses (plural). In the German language, Ur derived to Auer in course of a diphthongization in the language during the 13th century. Later, "-ochs" as added, which is meant to refer to a wild bovine. This is how the German name of the animal turned to Auerochs/Auerochse.

The name of the aurochs in other languages seems to be derived by "urus" as well. Such as uro (spanish language) or urokse (danish language).

Records show that during the early Holocene in course of the Neolithic Revolution, aurochs were domesticated in at least two domestication events. One, concerning the Indian subspecies, lead to Zebu cattle, and the other one concerning the Eurasian subspecies lead to taurine cattle. Other species of wild bovines were domesticated as well, such as the Wild water buffalo, Gaur and Banteng. In modern cattle, there are numerous breeds that share characteristics of the aurochs, such as a dark colour of the bulls with a light eel stripe and light colour in cows, or a typical aurochs-like horn shape.

Evolution

During the pliocene, the colder climate caused an extension of open grassland, which increased the evolution of large grazers, such as wild bovines. Bos acutifrons is an extinct species of cattle sometimes claimed to be the ancestor of aurochs, but it was a species with very long, outwards-facing horns. The oldest aurochs remains come from about 2 million years, India. Therefore, the Indian subspecies was the first aurochs subspecies to appear. During the pleistocene, the species migrated into the Middle East and further into Asia, and reached Europe about 270,000 years ago. The South Asian domestic cattle, or zebu, descended from Indian aurochs at the edge of the Thar Desert; this would explain the zebu's resistance to drought. Domestic yak, gayal and Javan cattle do not descend from aurochs.©Al (Alex-Alexander)DGirvan. All rights reserved.

The SO CALLED American Buffalo was NOT Made in The United States of the Americas and is NOT a buffalo.

 Who is going to bag who? It's a good thing that bison don't eat meat.

The animals, shown here are NOT buffalo

The "authntically aboriginal" Sioux headdress was 

invented by Buffalo Bill.

A lot of FUN but nothing was real; or claimed to be so.

"The buffalo was the "walking commissary” of the American plains indian cultures from before European settlement began in 1607 until the last Sioux buffalo hunt in 1883."

Whoa, there are a few things wrong here. They are very minor, quite minor, well, at least so insignificant no one would normally notice; but, never the less wrong.

1.  The indigenous North American lived and survived (northern regions of Canada for example), in environments other than the plains of North America.

2.  A spear being about the only exception, indigenous North American cultures did not have weapons powerful enough to kill a prairie bison never mind a woods bison, (the larger of the two subspecies but originally found mostly in Canada. Woods bison migrated east and west rather than north and south like the smaller plains bison.) which is why when they did by happenstance succeed in killing one, the hide was used for armour-awkward and extremely heavy, the bison hides were at that time of very little other use-a bear skin was just as warm and much easier and SAFER to obtain.

3.  Small animals such as beaver and muskrat and Nature’s vegetable garden were much more of a commissary than the bison.

4.  While ELK-what we in North America now call MOOSE-did and do exist; as do wapiti (what we in North America like to call elk); antelope, wild buffalo  and wild “Indian cultures “did not, do not , and never did, exist in North America. (notably: it is estimated by Stats Canada that the last “full blooded Aboriginal” died over a hundred years ago-in other words, while there still exists people with some indigenous native heritage it is just possible that BISON managed to outlive (debateable as it has been found that all bison in the United States of the Americas are, in fact, mongrel hybrids, part cattle, part bison) all original, indigenous North American cultures are now EXTINCT.

A huge pile of buffalo bones left at an archaeological dig site, on the Crow Reservation, in the path of proposed expansion of a coal mine. 

5.  After they obtained the ability to actually kill bison, and, after a market developed for the meat and hides; the indigenous North  Americans SLAUGHTERED just as man- possibly more- bison than Europeans

6.  1607 until 1883, less than 300 (276) years, is this really how long North American indigenous native cultures were able to prosper?

July 16, 1806, “Everywhere I look I see a beautiful shade of green, spotted with thousands of buffaloes. The wolves have decreased in number. We managed to kill a buffalo and took the REAR AND TONGUE for ample amounts of meat. Once we came to the rose river, I decided to camp. We saw a bleeding buffalo , this buffalo led us to believe that indians were near, possible the blackfoots. We want to avoid any contact with these indians, they may try to capture our horses. This a dangerous job! The blackfoots an THE MINNETARES OF FORT (INDIAN TRIBES) are vicious and wild, we must AVOID them at all costs.”-Source, Journal of the Louis and Clark Expedition 1803-1806.

July 18, 19, 1806 “More huge herds of buffalo for the last twelve miles. Wolves, antelopes, and horses were also spotted. Traveled five miles to Maria's river, got there around 6 p.m. amped on the west side after killing some buffalo. It has become extremely cold, rainy and windy. The weather is terrible! To add to the unpleasantness, a couple a wolves paid us a visit today, I managed to shoot one.” Source, Journal of the Louis and Clark Expedition 1803-1806.

·        Wolves are very shy creatures; there have been NO confirmed cases of a wolf pack EVER attacking humans anywhere and again, wild buffalo have never existed in North America.

·        Neither did or do antelope, and “wild” horses did not exist in North America, at that time.

·        Then, existing, North American indigenous native cultures would have NO or at least very, very, few horses. 

July 18,19, 1806. These accounts of encounters with buffalo were recorded during the return trip by Meriwether Lewis during their travels between the Rocky Mountain Front, the Great Falls and down river forty miles to the confluence of Maria's river with the Missouri, in of July 1806.

Not,"Made In America:The Bison of the Americas (Bison bison), is a bovine mammal that is the largest terrestrial mammal in North America, and one of the largest wild cattle in the world. With their huge bulk, wood bison, which are the largest subspecies in North America, are only surpassed in size by the massive Asian gaur. Bison are NOT  BUFFALO and they are NOT necessarily, COWS.

Asian Gaur

Please NOTE: None of the animals shown here are COWS
These BULLS average well over over 2000 lbs in weight

 The image shown, directly above has been released by the ORIGINAL copyright owner into

 public domain

and by the wild water buffalo, both of which are found mainly in India.

Massive Herds:  Bison once inhabited the Great Plains of the United States and Canada in massive herds, ranging from the Great Slave Lake in Canada's far north to Mexico in the south, and from eastern Oregon almost to the Atlantic Ocean, taking its subspecies into account. Its two subspecies are the Plains Bison (Bison bison bison), distinguished by its smaller size and more rounded hump, and the Wood Bison (Bison bison athabascae), distinguished by its larger size and taller square hump.

The Bison is also commonly known as the American buffalo"

Actually, like MAN, the American bison is a relative newcomer to North America; the bison originated in Eurasia and migrated (about the same time as aboriginal man) over the Bering Strait, only about 10,000 years ago. The North American Bison, was and is, technically a dwarf form of bison.

Bison and Buffalo belong to the order Artiodactyla (Even-toed hoofed animals: includes pigs, sheep, goats, cattle, deer); Neither were “Made in America”.

Family: Bovidae (Cattle, water buffalo, bison, antelopes, goats, sheep and more)

Genus: Bison

Species: Bison priscus (extinct Steppe Bison)

Species: Bison latifrons (extinct Long-horned Bison): The largest and heaviest bison species ever to occur in North America. Much like the Spanish long horn cattle that were once imported into the state of Texas and elsewhere in the United States of the Americas; the long horns  of this bison jutted outward and curved gently upward. Unlike the modern day North American Bison, they were NOT built for  agility, extended running, or any  quick movement, which was undoubtedly a contributing factor to their becoming extinct.

Bison antiquus: Were intermediate in size between B. latifrons and living bison. They also had straighter, shorter horns , more like modern day short horn beef cattle, than B. latifrons. Although not so much so as any modern bison; they were somewhat  agile, and long-running

Species: Bison bison American Bison

Subspecies: Bison bison bison (American Plains Bison)

Subspecies: Bison bison athabascae (the mostly Canadian, Wood Bison; SOME people claim gave name to Wood “Buffalo”Park)

Species:  Bison bonasus (European Bison)

Subspecies: Bison bonasus bonasus (Lowland Bison

 Subspecies: Bison bonasus caucasicus (extinct in 1925)

 Subspecies: Bison bonasus hungarorum (extinct Hungarian Bison).

© Al (Alex- Alexander) D. Girvan. All rights reserved.