page_title: Tauros Programme
section_title: Methods and goal
hierarchical_section_title: Tauros Programme / Methods and goal
caption_attribution_description: English: Limia bull and cow from Gallicia. It is a hardy an aurochs-like breed that is used by TaurOs Project to breed back the aurochs, wild ancestor of taurine cattle. Thanks to Henri Kerkdijk-Otten for providing me this photograph.
context_page_description: The Tauros Programme, formerly known as TaurOs Project, is a cooperation between the Dutch foundation Stichting Taurus and universities such as the Wageningen University and Research Centre. It is an international effort to breed a type of cattle that resembles the extinct aurochs, the wild ancestor of domestic cattle, to a large extent.
  The project largely uses hardy cattle breeds with superficial resemblance to the extinct aurochs. By crossbreeding and selective breeding it tries to establish similarity to the aurochs. The long-term goal is to release these Tauros cattle into rewilding areas.
context_section_description: TaurOs Project uses very hardy cattle breeds, which should preferably resemble the aurochs to a useful extent. Crossbreeding and selective breeding with such breeds should create new lineages which are hoped to come close to the aurochs as much as possible and are fit for being released in European wild reserves. Not only the phenotype and robustness are in the focus of breeding, but also genetic information of the aurochs which might be preserved in these breeds is considered. 
  There are variations within each breed, so selection criteria are necessary to select the individuals to be included on the project. Accordingly, studies are running parallel under the umbrella of the project, e.g., to evaluate possible introgression of wild aurochs into the European cattle population. Furthermore, the food choice and behaviour of the used breeds are examined.
  The breeds which are used for crossbreeding mostly stem from the Iberian Peninsula and Italy. For example, these are Sayaguesa Cattle, Pajuna Cattle, Italian Podolica and Maremmana primitivo. Although claimed to be genetically close to the aurochs, the Lidia breed (Spanish fighting bull) was not used for the project due to its aggressive behaviour.
  These primitive breeds have decreased in numbers during the last decades, and some are highly endangered. Scottish highland cattle are used as well, because this breed has a long and dense coat and is very hardy. Several cross individuals have been born already.
  Members of the project hope that the Tauros cattle will one day be able to move freely in wild herds in European nature areas just as red deer, wild boar, and wolves do.
  Meanwhile, the genetic relationship between a number of cattle breeds and the aurochs is examined.
caption: Limia Cattle bull and cow in the Netherlands.
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