Bovinae

Bovinae Temporal range: Miocene to Recent
water buffalo
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
(unranked)	Ruminantiamorpha
Suborder:	Ruminantia
Infraorder:	Pecora
Family:	Bovidae
Subfamily:	Bovinae Gray, 1821
Tribes
Bovini Boselaphini Strepsicerotini
Bovine range

The biological subfamily Bovinae includes a diverse group of 10 genera of medium to large sized ungulates, including domestic cattle, the bison, African buffalo, the water buffalo, the yak, and the four-horned and spiral-horned antelopes. The evolutionary relationship between the members of the group is obscure, and their classification into loose tribes rather than formal sub-groups reflects this uncertainty. General characteristics include cloven hoofs and usually at least one of the sexes of a species having true horns.

In most countries, bovids are used for food. Cattle are eaten almost everywhere except in major parts of India and Nepal, where bovids are considered sacred by Hindus.

Systematics and classification

• FAMILY BOVIDAE
  • Subfamily Bovinae
    • Tribe Boselaphini
      • Genus Tetracerus
        • Four-horned antelope, Tetracerus quadricornis
      • Genus Boselaphus
        • Nilgai or blue bull, Boselaphus tragocamelus (not to be confused with the extinct bluebuck Hippotragus leucophaeus, Hippotraginae)
    • Tribe Bovini
      • Genus Bubalus
        • Domestic Asian water buttto, Bubalus bubalis
        • Wild Asian water buffalo, Bubalus arnee
        • Lowland anoa, Bubalus depressicornis
        • Mountain anoa, Bubalus quarlesi
        • Tamaraw, Bubalus mindorensis
        • Cebu tamaraw†, Bubalus cebuensis (extinct)
      • Genus Bos
        • Aurochs†, Bos primigenius (extinct)
        • Banteng, Bos javanicus
        • Gaur, Bos gaurus
        • Gayal, Bos frontalis (domestic gaur)
        • Yak, Bos mutus, Bos grunniens
        • Bos palaesondaicus†, (extinct)
        • Domestic cattle, Bos taurus (increasingly considered a subspecies of Bos primigenius)
        • Kouprey, Bos sauveli
      • Genus Pseudoryx
        • Saola, Pseudoryx nghetinhensis
      • Genus Syncerus
        • African buffalo, Syncerus caffer
      • Genus Bison
        • American bison, Bison bison
        • Wisent, Bison bonasus
        • Steppe wisent†, Bison priscus (extinct)
        • Ancient bison†, Bison antiquus (extinct)
        • Long-horned bison†, Bison latifrons (extinct)
      • Genus Pelorovis† (extinct)
        • Giant buffalo, Pelorovis antiquus
    • Tribe Strepsicerotini
      • Genus Tragelaphus (antelope-like)
        • Bongo, Tragelaphus eurycerus
        • Greater kudu, Tragelaphus strepsiceros
        • Kéwel, Tragelaphus scriptus
        • Imbabala, Tragelaphus sylvaticus
        • Lesser kudu, Tragelaphus imberbis
        • Mountain nyala, Tragelaphus buxtoni
        • Nyala, Tragelaphus angasii
        • Sitatunga, Tragelaphus spekeii
      • Genus Taurotragus
        • Common eland, Taurotragus oryx
        • Giant eland, Taurotragus derbianus

Etymology

Bovine is derived from Latin bos, "ox", through Late Latin bovinus. Bos comes from the Indo-European root *g^wous, meaning ox.

References

• International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature. 2003. Opinion 2027 (Case 3010). Usage of 17ΔбГ specific names based on wild species which are pre-dated by or contemporary with those based on domestic animals (Lepidoptera, Osteichthyes, Mammalia): conserved. Bull.Zool.Nomencl., 60:81–84.