Cow, in common parlance, is a domestic bovine, regardless of sex and age, usually of the species Bos taurus. Domestic cows are one of the most common farm animals around the world. The most specialized adaptation that cows (and other ruminants) have is their massive four-chambered stomach.
Cows are gentle beasts that have co-existed with humans for centuries. 1 Since their domestication, cows have played an invaluable role in aiding ancient humankind’s transition from hunting gatherers to a more agricultural society. 2
Cows, belonging to the animal kingdom, class Mammalia, and order Artiodactyla, are iconic creatures that have played a varied and significant role in human civilization for centuries.
Cattle (commonly called cows), are among humankind's most important domesticated animals. They are even-toed ungulates or hoofed mammals, of the species Bos taurus of the family Bovidae, or bovids. Through history, they have had a tremendous effect on human culture, economy, and religion.
Cattle (Bos taurus) are large, domesticated, bovid ungulates widely kept as livestock. They are prominent modern members of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus Bos. Mature female cattle are called cows and mature males are called bulls.
Though the natural lifespan of a cow can go over twenty years, most cows don’t live too much beyond ten years. This is because the majority of cows are part of a farming operation, and after a few years of milk production, cows are typically then tagged for meat processing.
Today, cows are domesticated ungulates (hoofed animals with two toes on each hoof) that we see very often chewing the grass in farmers fields as we walk or drive through the countryside. There is an estimated 1.3 billion head of cattle and 920 breeds of cow in the world today.