Bovinae

Bovines Temporal range: Miocene to Recent
African buffalo bull (Syncerus caffer)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Family:	Bovidae
Subfamily:	Bovinae Gray, 1821
Tribes
Bovini Boselaphini Strepsicerotini

The biological subfamily Bovinae includes a diverse group of 10 genera of medium to large-sized ungulates, including domestic cattle, 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 still debated, and their classification into loose tribes rather than formal subgroups reflects this uncertainty. General characteristics include cloven hoofs and usually at least one of the sexes of a species having true horns. The largest extant bovine is the gaur.

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

Systematics and classification

• 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 or blue bull, Boselaphus tragocamelus (not to be confused with the extinct bluebuck Hippotragus leucophaeus, Hippotraginae)
          • B.t. tragocamelus (Indian nilgai)
    • Tribe Bovini
      • Genus Bubalus
        • Water buffalo, 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 grunniens
        • Wild yak, Bos mutus
        • Bos palaesondaicus†, (extinct)
        • Domestic cattle, Bos taurus
        • Domestic zebu, Bos indicus
        • Kouprey, Bos sauveli
      • Genus Pseudoryx
        • Saola, Pseudoryx nghetinhensis
      • Genus Syncerus
        • African buffalo, Syncerus caffer
      • Genus Bison
        • American bison, Bison bison
        • Wisent, Bison bonasus
        • Bison palaeosinensis†, (extinct)
        • Steppe wisent†, Bison priscus (extinct)
        • Ancient bison†, Bison antiquus (extinct)
        • Long-horned bison†, Bison latifrons (extinct)
      • Genus Pelorovis† (extinct)
        • Giant buffalo†, Pelorovis antiquus (extinct)
    • 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.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bovinae.

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