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To: Fred Nerks; SunkenCiv; All

I seem to recall running into some interesting info about the geology of Malta. If I can find it I will post it. Meanwhile I have a question about the decendents of oxen. If I remember my biology, Oxen are castrated adult male cattle, and thus would have no decendents.


8 posted on 07/11/2008 9:24:31 AM PDT by gleeaikin
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To: gleeaikin
Oxen are only "usually" castrated. ;') The main feature of the ox is that it is "trained". It's slow-moving, and in agriculture continues to be used here and there. Due to the advent of the tractor, it has mostly vanished in North America (I suspect they're still in use by the Amish), and after the medieval introduction of the horse collar, the use of oxen in ploughing declined.

European cows/bulls were bred from the wild auroch, which finally went extinct in the early 17th century (! I was surprised by that tidbit).
10 posted on 07/11/2008 10:07:12 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/_________________________Profile updated Friday, May 30, 2008)
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