# Cows and their ancestors **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 10, 2007, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cows-and-their-ancestors/422232 "2007-10-10T16:58:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2007, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cows-and-their-ancestors/422232/1 "2007-10-10T16:58:44Z")
If cows evolved from the aurochs, and cows were domesticated and bred to be abundant food sources, then how come they’re smaller than the aurochs was? Wouldn’t you want to go for really big beasts? ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2007, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cows-and-their-ancestors/422232/2 "2007-10-10T17:11:16Z")
[QUOTE=Priceguy] If cows evolved from the aurochs, and cows were domesticated and bred to be abundant food sources, then how come they’re smaller than the aurochs was? Wouldn’t you want to go for really big beasts? [/QUOTE] Only if you could afford to feed them. Usually big animals eat more than smaller animals, and there’s got to be some application of the law of diminishing returns here. Big animals also have bigger skeletons, generally. It may be (WAG alert!) that an auroch was larger but bonier, and cows either produce more food value in milk or meat for their size. I’ve seen awfully cute little chest-high cows used for dairy farming. Don’t know what they’re called. ---
**Author:** ![Tully\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7ab992/32.png) [@Tully\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tully_Mars)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2007, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cows-and-their-ancestors/422232/3 "2007-10-10T17:29:22Z")
Would you need consider how you handle them? How high and strong of a fence do you want to build? How big the shelter in you’re in a bad weather climate? How much water do they require if you’re in an arid climate? How big can a bovine be before they’re not intimidated by humans and can’t be herded? ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2007, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cows-and-their-ancestors/422232/4 "2007-10-10T17:29:27Z")
[QUOTE=WhyNot] … I’ve seen awfully cute little chest-high cows used for dairy farming. Don’t know what they’re called. [/QUOTE] Jerseys are a notably small dairy breed. The butterfat content of the milk is so damned high they practically give cream: > **[Jersey cattle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jersey_cattle)** > > The Jersey is a British breed of small dairy cattle from Jersey, in the British Channel Islands. It is one of three Channel Island cattle breeds, the others being the Alderney – now extinct – and the Guernsey. The milk is high in butterfat and has a characteristic yellowish tinge. The Jersey adapts well to various climates and environments, and unlike many breeds originating in temperate climates, tolerates heat well. It has been exported to many countries of the world; in some of them, includi... ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2007, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cows-and-their-ancestors/422232/5 "2007-10-10T17:32:55Z")
[QUOTE=Tully Mars] Would you need consider how you handle them? How high and strong of a fence do you want to build? How big the shelter in you’re in a bad weather climate? How much water do they require if you’re in an arid climate? How big can a bovine be before they’re not intimidated by humans and can’t be herded? [/QUOTE] All good points, but the aurochs was aurochs-sized and it was domesticated, and then turned into a cow. ---
**Author:** ![Tully\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7ab992/32.png) [@Tully\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tully_Mars)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2007, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cows-and-their-ancestors/422232/6 "2007-10-10T18:01:18Z")
[QUOTE=Priceguy] All good points, but the aurochs was aurochs-sized and it was domesticated, and then turned into a cow. [/QUOTE] Those weren’t points, they were guesses. I considered those things when I briefly thought it would be cool to raise some buffalo. I could imagine that those were things that an auroch raiser would consider when selecting which animals to keep for breeding. Or, maybe they just ate the bigger ones first before they considered the benefits of keeping a few for breeding stock. ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2007, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cows-and-their-ancestors/422232/7 "2007-10-10T18:30:13Z")
I think you start out hunting Aurochs for a millennium or so, and always go for the biggest one, so as to get the most food for your kill. The Aurochs will do their part by arranging for you to kill the most aggressive first, as well. After a thousand years or so, folks will have noticed, that, gee, the Aurochs are kinda small and whimpy. The Dire Wolves are killing them so fast, that we have to chase the cowardly things all over the place. Let’s kill all the Dire Wolves so we won’t starve to death. So, the next thousand years are spent eliminating the Dire Wolf, and by the time it is over, our herd of dwarf Aurochs are doing much better. They also have even less benefit to themselves in being big and mean. They are not domesticated yet. But, they have adapted to the concerted and constant alteration in their environment from man. When man starts rounding them up earlier, and driving them south in more successful migrations the domestication has begun. Only the smallest, and least aggressive ones are easy enough to drive. However, the ones who are being domesticated can successfully raise larger numbers of offspring. Bigger herds, smaller, and more tractable individuals. Hunting out the large and more aggressive males from the herd changes the mating patterns, and sex proportions of the herd, and again, the herd gains more benefit from food and water sources, and men gain knowledge of how to manipulate the nature of the herd by their actions. Another thousand years, and you got cave cowboys. Tris