Bovinae
Bovines | |
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African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Artiodactyla |
Family: | Bovidae |
Subfamily: | Bovinae J. E. Gray, 1821 |
Tribes | |
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Bovines (subfamily Bovinae) comprise a diverse group of 10 genera of medium to large-sized ungulates, including cattle, bison, African buffalo, water buffalos, and the four-horned and spiral-horned antelopes. The evolutionary relationship between the members of the group is still debated, and their classification into loose tribes rather than formal subgroups reflects this uncertainty. General characteristics include cloven hooves and usually at least one of the sexes of a species having true horns. The largest extant bovine is the gaur.
In many countries, bovid milk and meat is used as food by humans. Cattle are kept as livestock almost everywhere except in parts of India and Nepal, where they are considered sacred by most Hindus. Bovids are used as draft animals and as riding animals. Small breeds of domestic bovid, such as the Miniature Zebu, are kept as pets. Bovid leather is durable and flexible and is used to produce a wide range of goods including clothing and bags.
Systematics and classification
- Family Bovidae
- Subfamily Bovinae
- Tribe Boselaphini
- Genus Boselaphus
- Nilgai, Boselaphus tragocamelus
- B. t. tragocamelus (Indian nilgai)
- Nilgai, Boselaphus tragocamelus
- Genus Tetracerus
- Four-horned antelope, Tetracerus quadricornis
- T. q. quadricornis
- T. q. iodes
- T. q. subquadricornis
- Four-horned antelope, Tetracerus quadricornis
- Genus †Duboisia
- Genus Boselaphus
- Tribe Bovini
- Genus Bos
- American bison, Bos bison
- Wood bison, B. b. athabascae
- Plains bison, B. b. bison
- European bison, Bos bonasus
- †Caucasian wisent, B. b. caucasicus
- †Carpathian wisent, B. b. hungarorum
- Gayal, Bos frontalis
- Gaur, Bos gaurus
- Domestic yak, Bos grunniens
- Zebu cattle, Bos indicus
- Banteng, Bos javanicus
- Wild yak, Bos mutus
- Kouprey, Bos sauveli (possibly extinct)
- Domestic cattle, Bos taurus
- Taurine cattle, B. t. taurus
- Sanga cattle, B. t. africanus
- †Ancient bison, Bos antiquus
- †Long-horned bison, Bos latifrons
- †Aurochs, Bos primigenius
- †Eurasian aurochs, B. p. primigenius
- †Indian aurochs, B. p. namadicus
- †Steppe wisent, Bos priscus
- †Bos palaeosinensis
- †Bos palaesondaicus
- American bison, Bos bison
- Genus Bubalus
- Wild water buffalo, Bubalus arnee
- Domestic water buffalo, Bubalus bubalis
- Lowland anoa, Bubalus depressicornis
- Tamaraw, Bubalus mindorensis
- Mountain anoa, Bubalus quarlesi
- Cebu tamaraw†, Bubalus cebuensis
- Genus Pseudoryx
- Saola, Pseudoryx nghetinhensis
- Genus Syncerus
- African buffalo, Syncerus caffer
- Cape buffalo, S. c. caffer
- Nile buffalo, S. c. aequinoctialis
- Sudan buffalo, S. c. brachyceros
- Forest buffalo, S. c. nanus
- †Giant buffalo, Syncerus antiquus
- African buffalo, Syncerus caffer
- Genus †Pelorovis
- Pelorovis oldowayensis
- Pelorovis turkanensis
- Pelorovis kaisensis
- Pelorovis howelli
- Genus Bos
- Tribe Tragelaphini
- Genus Tragelaphus (antelope-like)
- Lowland nyala, Tragelaphus angasii
- Mountain nyala, Tragelaphus buxtoni
- Bongo, Tragelaphus eurycerus
- T. e. isaaci
- T. e. eurycerus
- Lesser kudu, Tragelaphus imberbis
- Greater kudu, Tragelaphus strepsiceros
- T. s. strepsiceros
- T. s. chora
- T. s. cottoni
- Cape bushbuck, Tragelaphus scriptus
- Sitatunga, Tragelaphus spekeii
- Harnessed bushbuck, Tragelaphus sylvaticus
- T. s. selousi
- T. s. gratus
- T. s. spekii
- Genus Taurotragus
- Common eland, Taurotragus oryx
- T. o. oryx
- T. o. livingstonii
- T. o. pattersonianus
- Giant eland, Taurotragus derbianus
- T. d. derbianus
- T. d. gigas
- Common eland, Taurotragus oryx
- Genus Tragelaphus (antelope-like)
- Tribe Boselaphini
- Subfamily Bovinae
Etymology
Bovine is derived from Latin bos, "ox", through Late Latin bovinus. Bos comes from the Indo-European root *gwous, meaning ox.
References
- International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (2003) Opinion 2027 (Case 3010). Usage of 17 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.
External links
- Bovinae information in ITIS.
- Congress on Controversies in Bovine Health, Industry & Economics (CoBo)