Bovinae

Bovines Temporal range: Miocene to present
African buffalo (Syncerus caffer)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Family:	Bovidae
Subfamily:	Bovinae J. E. Gray, 1821
Tribes
Boselaphini , 1907 Bovini J. E. Gray, 1821 Tragelaphini Blyth, 1863 sensu Sokolov, 1953

Bovines (subfamily Bovinae) comprise a diverse group of 10 genera of medium to large-sized ungulates, including domestic 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.

Systematics and classification[]

Bovine skull.

• Family Bovidae
  • Subfamily Bovinae
    • Tribe Boselaphini
      • Genus Tetracerus
        • Four-horned antelope, Tetracerus quadricornis
          • T. q. quadricornis
          • T. q. iodes
          • T. q. subquadricornis
      • Genus Boselaphus
        • Nilgai, Boselaphus tragocamelus
          • B.t. tragocamelus (Indian nilgai)
      • Genus †Duboisia
        • †D. santeng
    • Tribe Bovini
      • 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 Bos
        • Aurochs, Bos primigenius
          • Eurasian aurochs†, Bos primigenius primigenius
          • Indian aurochs†, Bos primigenius namadicus
        • Banteng, Bos javanicus
        • Gaur, Bos gaurus
        • Gayal, Bos frontalis
        • Yak, Bos grunniens
        • Wild yak, Bos mutus
        • Bos palaesondaicus†,
        • Kouprey, Bos sauveli
        • Domestic cattle, Bos taurus
          • Taurine cattle, Bos taurus taurus
          • Zebu, Bos taurus indicus
      • Genus Pseudoryx
        • Saola, Pseudoryx nghetinhensis
      • Genus Syncerus
        • African buffalo, Syncerus caffer
      • Genus Bison
        • American bison, Bison bison
        • European bison, Bison bonasus
        • †, (extinct)
        • Steppe wisent†, Bison priscus
        • Ancient bison†, Bison antiquus
        • Long-horned bison†, Bison latifrons
      • Genus Pelorovis† (extinct)
        • Giant buffalo†, Pelorovis antiquus
    • Tribe Tragelaphini
      • Genus Tragelaphus (antelope-like)
        • Bongo, Tragelaphus eurycerus
        • Greater kudu, Tragelaphus strepsiceros
        • Bushbuck, Tragelaphus scriptus
        • 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 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[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bovinae.

• Bovinae information in ITIS.
• Congress on Controversies in Bovine Health, Industry & Economics (CoBo)