aurochs skeleton Skeleton of an aurochs (Bos primigenius), an extinct wild ox of Europe. AdstockRF

One of the ancestors of modern cattle, the Eurasian aurochs was a large, wild ox that once ranged across the steppes of Europe, Siberia, and Central Asia. Standing 1.8 meters (6 feet) high at the shoulder with substantial, forward-curving horns, Eurasian aurochs were known for their aggressive temperaments and were battled for sport in ancient Roman arenas. As a game animal, Eurasian aurochs were hunted excessively and gradually became locally extinct in many areas throughout their range. By the 13th century, populations had declined so much that the right to hunt them was restricted to nobles and royal households in eastern Europe. In 1564, gamekeepers recorded only 38 animals in a royal survey and the last known Eurasian aurochs, a female, died in Poland in 1627 from natural causes.