Unusually long activity of the Taurid meteor complex, extending over 3-5 months according to new estimations based on various orbital similarity criteria, has been evoking controversies about the possible origin and dynamical evolution of this unique complex of meteor streams. It even casts doubts on the reality of the extension of the complex. In the present paper orbital elements and the extension of the Taurid meteor complex are re-examined on the bases of the most precise photographic meteor orbits available from the IAU Meteor Data Center in Lund. The results are evaluated and discussed from the viewpoint of various proposals on the origin and dynamical evolution of the complex.
