218 



UNGULATA 



ORDER VII 



ungulates. Feral representatives of this group, which includes the single 

 genus Bos Linn. (Figs. 295-297), no longer exist. The domestic ox, B. taurus 

 Linn., is now distributed throughout the world, and by breeding has become 

 split up into various races. Riitimeyer distinguishes three races of European 

 oxen. The Primigenius or Trochoceros race having the greatest similarity to 

 the fossil Urus, B. primigenius Bojanus, was evidently derived from it. During 

 the stone age it already had a wide distribution. The Frontosus race is 



Fig. 295. 

 Bos primigenius Bojanus. Pleistocene, Scotland. (After Owen.) 



Fig. 296. 



Bos taurus Linn, (primigenius race). Holstein. Female skull. 

 (After Riitimeyer.) 



Pio. 297. 



Bos taurus Linn. From 

 Swiss Pile-dwelling. A, Up- 

 per, and jS, lower molar, i/j. 



characterised by the unusually broad frontal region. It probably developed 

 from the Primigenius race, and is first found in the Bronze Age. The 

 Brachyceros race has short, strongly curved non-pedicled horn-cores, a long 

 narrow skull, and very prominent orbits. These forms are abundant in pile 

 dwellings. A similar but long-horned type, Bos macroceros Diirst, now 

 distributed throughout Africa and Spain, is also, like B. brachyceros Owen, of 

 Asiatic origin. 



The oldest fossil representatives of the taurine group occur in the later 

 Siwalik beds of northern India. B. planifrons and B. acutifrons Lydekker. 



