Cow

## Evolutionary Timeline of the Cow The cow (Bos taurus) traces its lineage back to ancient even-toed ungulates, evolving through major environmental shifts like grassland expansion and climate changes. Key pressures included predation, resource competition, and later, human domestication. Below are major milestones: - **Eocene Epoch (55-34 million years ago)**: Emergence of early artiodactyls, ancestors to all even-toed ungulates, adapting to forested environments. - **Miocene Epoch (23-5 million years ago)**: Diversification of the Bovidae family, with grazing adaptations amid expanding grasslands due to cooling climates. - **Pliocene/Pleistocene Epochs (5-0.01 million years ago)**: Rise of the aurochs (Bos primigenius), the wild ancestor, evolving larger size and herding behavior in response to glacial cycles and megafauna competition. - **Holocene Epoch (10,000 years ago - present)**: Domestication by humans in the Fertile Crescent, leading to selective breeding for milk, meat, and labor, influenced by agricultural revolutions.