IN regard to Prof. Newton's letter in your issue of the 8th, I beg to state that in restricting the name aurochs to the European bison, I have merely followed the general custom of English zoologists.

I AM glad that Mr. Lydekker accedes (NATURE, May 15, p. 53) to the correction of which I had pointed out the need. But the “vulgar error”—if the Editor will allow me to use a phrase made ...

Like their bison cousins, aurochs stood their ground to defend against threats rather than fleeing, making them risky to approach. Aurochs were not only massive, but massively successful as a species.

An exact replica of a cave painting in Lascaux showing a bison and aurochs facing each other, along with small horses and deer. | Patrick Aventurier/GettyImages Between 17,000 and 12,000 years ago ...