Bovinae

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 members of this group are classified into loose tribes rather than formal subgroups, as the evolutionary relationships within the groups are still uncertain. 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.

Bovines Temporal range: Miocene to present
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
Boselaphini Knottnerus-Meyer, 1907 Bovini J. E. Gray, 1821 Tragelaphini Blyth, 1863 sensu Sokolov, 1953

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

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
        • Mountain anoa, Bubalus quarlesi
        • Tamaraw, Bubalus mindorensis
        • Cebu tamaraw†, Bubalus cebuensis
      • Genus Bos
        • Aurochs, Bos primigenius
          • Eurasian aurochs†, B. p. primigenius
          • Indian aurochs†, B. p. namadicus
        • Banteng, Bos javanicus
        • Domestic banteng, Bos domesticus
        • Gaur, Bos gaurus
        • Gayal, Bos frontalis
        • Domestic yak, Bos grunniens
        • Wild yak, Bos mutus
        • Bos palaesondaicus†,
        • Kouprey, Bos sauveli (possibly extinct)
        • Domestic cattle, Bos taurus
          • Taurine cattle, B. t. taurus
          • Zebu cattle, B. t. indicus
          • Sanga cattle, B. t. africanus
      • 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†
      • Genus Bison
        • American bison, Bison bison
          • Wood bison, B. b. athabascae
          • Plains bison, B. b. bison
        • European bison, Bison bonasus
        • Bison palaeosinensis†, (extinct)
        • Steppe wisent†, Bison priscus
        • Ancient bison†, Bison antiquus
        • Long-horned bison†, Bison latifrons
      • Genus Pelorovis† (extinct)
        • Pelorovis oldowayensis†
        • Pelorovis turkanensis†
        • Pelorovis kaisensis†
        • Pelorovis howelli†
    • Tribe Tragelaphini
      • Genus Tragelaphus (antelope-like)
        • Bongo, Tragelaphus eurycerus
          • T. e. isaaci
          • T. e. eurycerus
        • Greater kudu, Tragelaphus strepsiceros
          • T. s. strepsiceros
          • T. s. chora
          • T. s. cottoni
        • Cape bushbuck, Tragelaphus scriptus
        • Harnessed bushbuck, Tragelaphus sylvaticus
        • Lesser kudu, Tragelaphus imberbis
        • Mountain nyala, Tragelaphus buxtoni
        • Lowland nyala, Tragelaphus angasii
        • Sitatunga, Tragelaphus spekeii
          • 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

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

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

See also

• Dairy cattle