Disagreement as to origin of domestic cattle-The ox in prehistoric times -The Bos urus-The Bos longifrons-Domestic cattle descended from one or the other, or from both-Opinion of various naturalists: Rütimeyer, Cuvier, Bell, Boyd Dawkins, Darwin, Storer, Owen, Dr John Alexander Smith-Are the urus and the longifrons really distinct species?-Practical value of the discussion-Probability of domestic cattle coming from "one common source - Low on variations in cattle.
IT is probable that complete agreement may never be arrived at in regard to the origin of the domesticated races of British cattle. There has been much discussion as to whether they ought to be looked upon as the conglomerate produce of two or more distinctly different species of the genus Bos, or as the variegated offshoots of one great parent stem. The subject, like most other questions receding far into the mists of prehistoric times, would seem to be almost hopelessly entangled in the meshes of scientific and theoretical speculation.
The combined researches of the geologist and the archæologist have proved that the genus Bos-the generic appel