Jurassic Farm: Can we bring prehistoric bovines back from extinction?

modernfarmer.com ^ | September 10, 2014 | By Kristan Lawson

[Red Badger]

1On the walls of Lascaux Cave in France, in the Upper Paleolithic era (around 17,000 B.C.), early humans painted aurochs, which they hunted. / Courtesy Prof Saxx.

2An illustration of an aurochs from a book published in 1556 by Sigismund von Herberstein; the Latin words mean, 'I'm an aurochs.' Since aurochs were already a critically endangered species by 1556, the illustrator might never have seen an one, as the drawing's proportions (hindquarters too fat, legs too short for a real aurochs) aren't entirely accurate.

3A lifelike model of an aurochs next to a human figure for size comparison. / Courtesy Pachyornis at the Breedling-back Blog.

[Arm_Bears]

Extensive human meddling = Husbandry = Increased/reliable food production = Security and survival

The last point is probably why the authoress is pi$$ed off.

[a fool in paradise]

Why don’t they try to bring one of the contemporary “extinct” species back using DNA samples?

Not as “sexy” as Jurassic Park dreams? Too harmful to “change your lifestyle, you are killing the snail darter owl eaglephant” campaigns?

[Red Badger]

There is also a group trying to re-introduce the Eruopean Bison from crosses with American stock...................

[Zeppo]

Can we bring prehistoric bovines back from extinction?

With Michael Moore already freely walking the Earth, is it really necessary to put up with even more of them?

[Mr. K]

those tiny legs would never support that thing

[WayneS]

I say Bring on the brontosaurus burgers!

[Safetgiver]

We spent eras trying to make bovines edible, efficient and easy to grow. Why reverse ourselves (except for government grants and other taxpayer money)?

[minnesota_bound]

McDonalds would love to have Brontosaurs brought back. One could feed thousands.

[Red Badger]

The cave man drawings showed tiny legs as well, so they must have been that way....................

[Resolute Conservative]

They want to engineer in the anti-flatulence trait. Cut down on the methane ya know...

[Red Badger]

Not sure I would want to eat a reptile.................

[Constitution Day]

Bump for later

[Red Badger]

They want to reintroduce grazers to the European grasslands..............

[Oberon]

I think we should just cut straight to farming Gaur.

[SpinnerWebb]

I dunno... I’ve had alligator. See my tagline.

[MadMax, the Grinning Reaper]

No need to bring them back. We still have remnants from the Old Days. Just look at Rose O’Donnell, the late, unlamented Helen Thomas, Nancy Pelosi and Barbara Mikulski, for examples.

Some things should be allowed to become extinct, like Democrats. (A little push along the way wouldn’t hurt, either).

[WayneS]

But what is they WEREN’T reptiles.

Some theorize that the dinosaurs were warm blooded.

;-)

PS - Rattlesnake tastes pretty good. So does alligator. And turtle soup .

[Red Badger]

I’ve eaten alligator, but so spicy it could have been a aardvark for all I know. I’ve eaten armadillo, as well. So tough it was like eating a tire...................

[Lurkina.n.Learnin]

“PS - Rattlesnake tastes pretty good”

Tried it once. I wasn’t impressed.