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Bovidae

(Family)

Overview

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A bovid (family Bovidae) is any of almost 140 species of cloven-hoofed ruminant mammal at least the males of which bare characteristic unbranching horns covered in a permanent sheath of keratin.

The family is widespread, being native to Asia, Africa, Europe and North America, and diverse: members include bison, African buffalo, water buffalo, antelopes, gazelles, sheep, goats, muskoxen, and domestic cattle.

Characteristics

The largest bovid, the gaur, weighs well over a ton and stands 2.2 metres high at the shoulder; the smallest, the royal antelope, weighs about 3 kg and stands no taller than a large domestic cat. Some are thick-set and muscular; others are lightly built, with small frames and long legs. Many species congregate into large groups with complex social structures, but others are mostly solitary. Within their extensive range, they occupy a wide variety of habitat types, from desert t o tundra and from thick tropical forest to high mountains.

Most members of the family are herbivorous, except most duikers, which are omnivorous. Like other ruminants, bovids have a four-chambered stomach which allows them to digest plant material, such as grass, that cannot be used by many other animals. Such plant material includes much cellulose, and no higher animal can digest this directly. However, ruminants (and some others like kangaroos, rabbits and termites) are able to use microorganisms living in their gut to break down cellulose by fermentation.

Because of the size and weight of their complex digestive systems, many bovids have a solid, stocky build. However, the more gracile species tend to have more selective diets, and be browsers rather than grazers. Their upper canine teeth and incisors are missing, and are replaced with a hard, horny pad, that the lower teeth grind against to cut grass or other foliage. The outer pair of teeth in the front of the lower jaw are either considered to be canines, or to be incisors, with the canines missing. The cheek teeth are low-crowned and selenodont, and are separated from the forward teeth by a wide gap, or diastema.[2] The dental formula for bovids is similar to that of other ruminants Upper: 0.0.2-3.3, lower: 3.1.3.3 or Upper: 0.0.2-3.3, lower: 4.0.3.3

All bovids have four toes on each foot ? they walk on the central two (the hooves), while the outer two (the dew-claws) are much smaller and rarely if ever touch the ground. Apart from some domesticated forms, the males in all species have horns, and in many the females do, too. The size and shape of the horns vary greatly, but the basic structure is always a pair of simple bony protrusions without branches, often having a spiral, twisted or fluted form, each covered in a permanent sheath of keratin. The unique horn structure is the only unambiguous morphological feature of bovids that distinguish them from other pecorans.[3][4] Male horn development has been linked to sexual selection,[5][6] while the presence of horns in females is likely due to natural selection.[5][7] The horns of females are usually smaller than those of males, and are sometimes of a different shape. It is theorized that the horns of female bovids evolved for defense against predators or to express territoriality, as non-territorial females who are able to use crypsis for predator defense often do not have horns.[7]

Evolution

The bovid family is known through fossils from the early Miocene, around 20 million years ago. The earliest bovids, such as Eotragus, were small animals, somewhat similar to modern gazelles, and probably lived in woodland environments. The bovids rapidly diversified, and by the late Miocene, the number of bovid species had greatly expanded. This late Miocene radiation was partly due to the fact that many bovids became adapted to more open, grassland habitat.[8] There are 78 genera known from the Miocene (compared to 50 today).

Early in their evolutionary history, the bovids split into two main clades: Boodontia and Aegodontia. This early split between Boodontia (of Eurasian origin) and Aegodontia (of African origin) has been attributed to the continental divide between these landmasses. When these continents were later rejoined, this barrier was removed, and both groups expanded into each other's territory.[9]

The largest number of modern bovids is found in Africa, while substantial but less diverse populations are in Asia and North America. Some scientists[who?] has suggested that many bovid species that evolved in Asia could not survive predation by humans arriving from Africa in the late Pleistocene[citation needed]. By contrast, African species had many thousands or a few million years to adapt to the gradual development of human hunting skills. Yet many of the commonly domesticated bovid species (goats, sheep, water buffalo and yak) originated in Asia. This may be because Asian bovids had less fear of humans and were more docile.

The small number of modern American bovids are relatively recent arrivals over the Bering land bridge, but they long predate human arrival.

Taxonomy

The bovid family is commonly subdivided into eight subfamilies. Recently, two additional subfamilies have been recognised. The eight traditional subfamilies can be divided into two clades, the Boodontia (with the Bovinae as sole members) and the Aegodontia (composed of all other subfamilies). Some authors[who?] d o not agree with the high number of subfamilies, although they do recognise these two clades. However, these are treated as subfamilies instead: Bovinae (without change) and Antilopinae (with all of the Aegodontid subfamilies as tribes within it).

Among the eight to ten subfamilies presented here, only some groups have a well-established phylogeny. The Bovinae, for example, are monophyletic and basal; while the Caprinae, Hippotraginae, and Alcelaphinae cluster together[further explanation needed] consistently. The phylogenetic relationships of the other subfamilies are still unclear or unresolved.[10]

Classification

Family Bovidae

s, were small animals, somewhat similar to modern gazelles, and probably lived in woodland environments. The bovids rapidly diversified, and by the late Miocene, the number of bovid species had greatly expanded. This late Miocene radiation was partly due to the fact that many bovids became adapted to more open, grassland habitat.[8] There are 78 genera known from the Miocene (compared to 50 today).

Early in their evolutionary history, the bovids split into two main clades: Boodontia and Aegodontia. This early split between Boodontia (of Eurasian origin) and Aegodontia (of African origin) has been attributed to the continental divide between these landmasses. When these continents were later rejoined, this barrier was removed, and both groups expanded into each other's territory.[9]

The largest number of modern bovids is found in Africa, while substantial but less diverse populations are in Asia and North America. Some scientists[who?] has suggested that many bovid species that evolved in Asia could not survive predation by humans arriving from Africa in the late Pleistocene[citation needed]. By contrast, African species had many thousands or a few million years to adapt to the gradual development of human hunting skills. Yet many of the commonly domesticated bovid species (goats, sheep, water buffalo and yak) originated in Asia. This may be because Asian bovids had less fear of humans and were more docile.

The small number of modern American bovids are relatively recent arrivals over the Bering land bridge, but they long predate human arrival.

Taxonomy

The bovid family is commonly subdivided into eight subfamilies. Recently, two additional subfamilies have been recognised. The eight traditional subfamilies can be divided into two clades, the Boodontia (with the Bovinae as sole members) and the Aegodontia (composed of all other subfamilies). Some authors[who?] do not agree with the high number of subfamilies, although they do recognise these two clades. However, these are treated as subfamilies instead: Bovinae (without change) and Antilopinae (with all of the Aegodontid subfamilies as tribes within it).

Among the eight to ten subfamilies presented here, only some groups have a well-established phylogeny. The Bovinae, for example, are monophyletic and basal; while the Caprinae, Hippotraginae, and Alcelaphinae cluster together[further explanation needed] consistently. The phylogenetic relationships of the other subfamilies are still unclear or unresolved.[10]

Classification

Family Bovidae

References

  1. ^ Grubb, Peter (16 November 2005). "FAMILY Bovidae". In Wilson, Don E., and Reeder, DeeAnn M., eds. Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2 vols. (2142 pp.). ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494. http://www.bucknell.edu/msw3/browse.asp?id=14200485
  2. ^ Janis, C. & Jarman, P. (1984). Macdonald, D.. ed. The Encyclopedia of Mammals. New York: Facts on File. pp. 498?499. ISBN 0-87196-871-1. 
  3. ^ Bibi, F.; Bukhsianidze,M.,Gentry,A.,Geraads,D.,Kostopoulos,D.,Vrba,E. (2009). "The fossil record and evolution of Bovidae: State of the field". Paleontologia Electronica 12 (3): 10A. http://palaeo-electronica.org/2009_3/169/index.html
  4. ^ Gatesy, J.; Yelon,D.,DeSalle,R.,Vrba,E. (1992). "Phylogeny of the Bovidae (Artiodactyla, Mammalia), Based on Mitochondrial Ribosomal DNA Sequences". Mol. Biol. Evol. 9 (3): 433?446. PMID 1584013
  5. ^ a b Bro-J?rgensen, J. (2007). "The intensity of sexual selection predicts weapon size in male bovids". Evolution 61 (6): 1316?1326. doi:10.1111/j.1558-5646.2007.00111.x. PMID 17542842
  6. ^ Ezenwa, V.; Jolles,A. (2008). "Horns honestly advertise parasite infection in male and female African buffalo". Animal Behaviour 75 (6): 2013?2021. doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2007.12.013
  7. ^ a b Stankowich, T.; Caro, T. (2009). "Evolution of weaponry in female bovids". Proc R Soc B 276 (1677): 4329?34. doi:10.1098/rspb.2009.1256. . PMID 19759035. http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/early/2009/09/17/rspb.2009.1256
  8. ^ Savage, RJG, & Long, MR (1986). Mammal Evolution: an illustrated guide. New York: Facts on File. pp. 232?235. ISBN 0-8160-1194-X. 
  9. ^ Hassanin, Douzery; Douzery, EJ (1999). "The Tribal Radiation of the Family Bovidae..". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 26 (2): 227?243. doi:10.1006/mpev.1999.0619. PMID 10603253. http://www.isem.cnrs.fr/IMG/pdf/Hassanin_1999-MPE.pdf
  10. ^ "Bovidae", The Ultimate Ungulate Page

External links

Taxonomy

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The Family Bovidae is a member of the Superfamily Bovoidea. Here is the complete "parentage" of Bovidae:

The Family Bovidae is further organized into finer groupings including:

Genera

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Acelaphus

[more]

Addax

The Addax (Addax nasomaculatus), also known as the screwhorn antelope, is a critically endangered species of antelope that lives in the Sahara desert. As suggested by its alternative name, this pale antelope has long, twisted horns. It is closely related to the oryx, but differs from other antelopes by having large square teeth like cattle and lacking the typical facial glands. Although extremely rare in its native habitat due to unregulated hunting, it is quite common in captivity. They are sometimes hunted as trophies on ranches in the United States. [more]

Adenota

Adenota is an alternative genus or sub-genus within the Reduncinae sub-family of family Bovidae, composed of the species Kobus kob (Kob) and Kobus vardonii (Puku). It was described by Nowak in 1991. [more]

Aegoryx

[more]

Aepyceros

An impala (Aepyceros melampus Greek a?p??, aipos "high" ?e???, ceros "horn" + melas "black" pous "foot") is a medium-sized African antelope. The name impala comes from the Zulu language meaning "gazelle". They are found in savannas and thick bushveld in Kenya, Tanzania, Swaziland, Mozambique, northern Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, southern Angola, northeastern South Africa and Uganda. Impalas can be found in numbers of up to 2 million in Africa. [more]

Alcelaphus

Alcelaphus is a genus of antelope. It contains the Hartebeest, Red Hartebeest and Lichtenstein's Hartebeest. [more]

Ammodorcas

The dibatag (Ammodorcas clarkei), or Clarke's gazelle, is an antelope found in the sandy grasslands of Ethiopia and Somalia. Not a true gazelle, it is similarly marked, with a long, furry black tail which is raised in flight. This gave rise to its name, which means "erect tail" in Somali. [more]

Ammotragus

The Barbary Sheep (Ammotragus lervia) is a species of caprid (goat-antelope) native to rocky mountains in North Africa. Six subspecies have been described. Although it is rare in its native North Africa, it has been introduced to North America, southern Europe and elsewhere. It is also known as aoudad, waddan, arui, and arruis. [more]

Anoa

Anoa, also known as midget buffalo and sapiutan, are a subgenus of Bubalus comprising two species native to Indonesia: the mountain anoa (Bubalus quarlesi) and the lowland anoa (Bubalus depressicornis). Both live in undisturbed rainforest, and are essentially miniature water buffalo. They are similar in appearance to a deer, weighing 150?300 kilograms (330?660 lb). [more]

Antidorcas

The springbok (Afrikaans and Dutch: = jump; bok = antelope or goat) (Antidorcas marsupialis) is a medium-sized brown and white gazelle that stands about 70 to 90 cm (28 to 35 in) high. Springbok males weigh between 33 and 50 kg (73 and 110 lb) and the females between 25 and 40 kg (55 and 88 lb). They can reach running speeds of up to 90 km/h (56 mph), to 96 km/h (60 mph) and can leap 4 m (13 feet) into the air and can long jump of up to 15 m (50 feet). [more]

Antidorcus

[more]

Antilope

Antilope is a genus of antelope in the subfamily Antilopinae that contains a single living species, the blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra) and fossil species such as , Antilope planicornis, and Antilope intermedius. [more]

Antilospira

[more]

Aplocerus

[more]

Arabitragus

[more]

Aragoral

[more]

Beatragus

The hirola (Beatragus hunteri, sometimes Damaliscus hunteri), also known as Hunter's Hartebeest, is an antelope species found in arid grassy plains in a pocket on the border between Kenya and Somalia. It's the only member of the genus Beatragus. [more]

Bibos

A Genus in the Kingdom Animalia.[1] [more]

Bison

Members of the genus Bison are large, even-toed ungulates within the subfamily Bovinae. Two extant and four extinct species are recognized. The surviving species are the American bison, also known as the American buffalo (although it is only distantly related to the true buffalo), Bison bison (with two subspecies, the plains bison, Bison bison bison, and the wood bison, Bison bison athabascae), found in North America, and the European bison, or wisent (Bison bonasus), found in Europe and the Caucasus. While these species are usually grouped into their own genus, they are sometimes included in the closely related genus Bos, together with cattle, gaur, kouprey and yaks, with which bison have a limited ability to interbreed. [more]

Boocercus

A Genus in the Kingdom Animalia.[2] [more]

Bootherium

[more]

Bos

Bos is the genus of wild and domestic cattle. Bos can be divided into four subgenera: Bos, Bibos, Novibos, and Poephagus, but these divisions are controversial. The genus has five extant species. However, this may rise to seven if the domesticated varieties are counted as separate species, and nine if the closely related genus Bison is also included. Modern species of cattle are believed to have originated from the extinct aurochs. [more]

Boselaphus

The nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus), sometimes called nilgau, is an antelope, and is one of the most commonly seen wild animals of central and northern India and eastern Pakistan; it is also present in parts of southern Nepal. The species has become extinct in Bangladesh. The mature males appear ox-like and are also known as blue bulls. The nilgai is the biggest Asian antelope. [more]

Bubalis

[more]

Bubalus

Bubalus is a genus of , whose English name is buffalo. Species that belong to this genus are: [more]

Budorcas

The takin (; Budorcas taxicolor; Tibetan: ??????, Wylie: ra rgya), also called cattle chamois or gnu goat, is a goat-antelope found in the Eastern Himalayas. There are four subspecies: B. taxicolor taxicolor, the Mishmi takin; B. taxicolor bedfordi, the Shanxi or golden takin; B. taxicolor tibetana, the Tibetan or Sichuan takin; and B. taxicolor whitei, the Bhutan Takin. Mitochondrial research shows that takin are related to sheep, its similarity to the muskox being an example of convergent evolution. The takin is the national animal of Bhutan. [more]

Capra

[more]

Capricornis

The serows are six species of medium-sized goat-like or antelope-like mammals of the genus Capricornis. [more]

Cephalophus

A duiker () is any of about 21 small to medium-sized antelope species from the subfamily Cephalophinae native to Sub-Saharan Africa. [more]

Connochaetes

The wildebeest (plural wildebeest or wildebeests), also called the gnu ( NOO or /'nju?/ NEW) is an antelope of the genus Connochaetes. It is a hooved (ungulate) mammal. Wildebeest is Dutch for "wild beast" or "wild cattle" in Afrikaans (beest = cattle), while Connochaetes derives from the Greek words konnos ("beard") and khaite ("flowing hair"). The name "gnu" originates from the Khoikhoi name for these animals, "gnou". [more]

Connochaetus

Damaliscus

Damaliscus is a genus of in the family Bovidae, subfamily Alcelaphinae. [more]

Damalops

Dorcadoryx

[more]

Dorcatragus

The beira (Dorcatragus megalotis) is a small antelope that inhabits arid regions of Somalia, Djibouti, and eastern Ethiopia. [more]

Elachistoceras

Eosyncerus

[more]

Eotragus

[more]

Euceratherium

The shrub-ox (Euceratherium collinum) (= Preptoceras, Aftonius) is an extinct genus and species of Bovidae native to North America. It is a close relative of the musk-ox. [more]

Eudorcas

A Genus in the Kingdom Animalia.[3] [more]

Gallogoral

Gazella

Gazellospira

Hemitragus

The Himalayan tahr (Hemitragus jemlahicus), also known as the Himalayan thar or the common thar, is a large ungulate related to the wild goat and the only extant member of the genus Hemitragus. [more]

Hippotragus

Hippotragus is a of antelope which includes three species. The species are: [more]

Homoioceras

Homoiodorcas

Hypsodontus

[more]

Ibex

A Genus in the Kingdom Animalia.[4] [more]

Kabulicornis

Kobus

A Genus in the Kingdom Animalia.[5] [more]

Kubanotragus

[more]

Leptobos

Limnotragus

A Genus in the Kingdom Animalia.[6] [more]

Litocranius

The gerenuk (Litocranius walleri), also known as the Waller's gazelle, is a long-necked species of antelope found in dry bushy scrub and steppe in East Africa, from Somalia and eastern Ethiopia through northern and eastern Kenya to northeastern Tanzania. The word gerenuk (pronounced with a hard g) comes from the Somali language, meaning ?giraffe-necked.? Gerenuk are sometimes also called the giraffe-necked antelope. It is the only member of the genus Litocranius. [more]

Madoqua

A dik-dik, pronounced "dik? dik", is a small antelope in the Genus Madoqua that lives in the bushlands of eastern and southern Africa. Dik-diks stand 30?40 cm (approx. 12?16 inches) at the shoulder, are 50?70 cm (approx. 20-28 inches) long, weigh 3?6 kg (approx. 7-16 pounds) and can live for up to 10 years. Dik-diks are named for the alarm calls of the females. In addition to the female's alarm call, both the male and female make a shrill whistling sound. These calls may alert other animals to predators. [more]

Makapania

Megalotragus

Megalovis

[more]

Menelikia

Mesembriportax

Myotragus

[more]

Naemorhedus

The gorals are four species in the genus Nemorhaedus or Naemorhedus. They are small ungulates with a goat-like or antelope-like appearance. [more]

Nanger

Nemorhaedus

The gorals are four species in the genus Nemorhaedus or Naemorhedus. They are small ungulates with a goat-like or antelope-like appearance. [more]

Neotragocerus

Neotragus

Neotragus is a of antelope. The three species are native animals of Africa. [more]

Nesotragus

A Genus in the Kingdom Animalia.[7] [more]

Nilgiritragus

Nisidorcas

[more]

Novibos

A Genus in the Kingdom Animalia.[8] [more]

Oioceros

[more]

Onotragus

A Genus in the Kingdom Animalia.[9] [more]

Oreamnos

Oreamnos is a genus of North American caprines. The Mountain goat (Oreamnos americanus) is the only living species. Until the end of the Pleistocene another species, Oreamnos harringtoni, was distributed to the south of the recent form. [more]

Oreotragus

A Genus in the Kingdom Animalia.[10] [more]

Orygotherium

Oryx

An Oryx is one of three or four large antelope species of the genus Oryx, typically having long straight almost upright or swept back horns. Two or three of the species are native to Africa, with a fourth native to the Arabian Peninsula. Small populations of several oryx species, such as the "Scimitar Oryx", exist in Texas and New Mexico, USA. [more]

Ourebia

Oribi (Ourebia ourebi, known as Oorbietjie in Afrikaans) are graceful slender-legged, long-necked small antelope found in grassland almost throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. [more]

Ovibos

The muskox (Ovibos moschatus, musk ox) is an Arctic mammal of the family Bovidae, noted for its thick coat and for the strong odor emitted by males, from which its name derives. This musky odor is used to attract females during mating season. Muskoxen primarily live in Arctic North America and Greenland, with small introduced populations in Sweden, Siberia and Norway. [more]

Ovis

Ovis is a genus of mammals, part of the goat-antelope subfamily of the ruminant family Bovidae. Its five or more highly gregarious species are known as sheep. The domestic sheep is one member of the genus, and is thought to be descended from the wild mouflon of central and southwest Asia. [more]

Pachygazella

Pachyportax

Pachytragus

[more]

Palaeoreas

Palaeoryx

Pantholops

[more]

Parabos

[more]

Paratragocerus

Parmularius

Pelea

[more]

Pelorovis

Pelorovis ("prodigious/monstrous sheep") is an extinct genus of African wild cattle, which first appeared in the Pliocene, 2.5 million years ago, and became extinct at the end of the Late Pleistocene about 12,000 years ago or even during the Holocene, some 4,000 years ago. Surprisingly, recent detailed anatomical and morphometric studies come to the conclusion, that Pelorovis is probably not monophyletic. According to this findings, the early forms of the genus (P. turkanensis und P. oldowayensis) are close relatives, and possibly the first members, of the genus Bos. In contrast, the late Pleistocene form (Pelorovis antiquus) seems to be a close relative of the modern African buffalo (Syncerus caffer). [more]

Philantomba

A duiker () is any of about 21 small to medium-sized antelope species from the subfamily Cephalophinae native to Sub-Saharan Africa. [more]

Pliotragus

Praeovibos

Preptoceras

The shrub-ox (Euceratherium collinum) (= Preptoceras, Aftonius) is an extinct genus and species of Bovidae native to North America. It is a close relative of the musk-ox. [more]

Procamptoceras

Procapra

[more]

Prostrepsiceros

Protoryx

[more]

Protragocerus

Pseudois

A Genus in the Kingdom Animalia.[11] [more]

Pseudonovibos

The Kting Voar, also known as the Khting Vor, Linh duong, or Snake-eating Cow (Pseudonovibos spiralis) is a bovid mammal reputed to exist in Cambodia and Vietnam. [more]

Pseudoryx

The saola, Vu Quang ox or Asian unicorn, also, infrequently, Vu Quang bovid (Pseudoryx nghetinhensis), one of the world's rarest mammals, is a forest-dwelling bovine found only in the Annamite Range of Vietnam and Laos. The species was defined following a discovery of remains in 1992 in Vu Quang Nature Reserve by a joint survey of the Ministry of Forestry and the World Wide Fund for Nature. The team found three skulls with unusual long straight horns kept in hunters' houses. In their article, the team proposed "a three month survey to observe the living animal" but, more than 20 years later, there is still no reported sighting of a saola in the wild by a scientist. [more]

Pseudotragus

Rabaticeras

Raphiceros

Raphicerus

Raphicerus is a of small antelopes of the Tribe Neotragini (Subfamily Antilopinae). [more]

Redunca

Reedbuck is a common name for antelopes from the genus Redunca. These species are: [more]

Rhynchotragus

A Genus in the Kingdom Animalia.[12] [more]

Rupicapra

Rupicapra is a of the family Bovidae (bovids), which contains two species: [more]

Saiga

The saiga (Saiga tatarica) is a Critically Endangered antelope which originally inhabited a vast area of the Eurasian steppe zone from the foothills of the Carpathians and Caucasus into Dzungaria and Mongolia. They also lived in North America during the Pleistocene. Today the nominate subspecies (Saiga tatarica tatarica) is only found in one location in Russia (steppes of the North-West Precaspian region) and three areas in Kazakhstan (the Ural, Ustiurt and Betpak-dala populations). A proportion of the Ustiurt population migrates south to Uzbekistan and occasionally Turkmenistan in winter. It is extinct in China and southwestern Mongolia. The Mongolian subspecies (Saiga tatarica mongolica) is found only in western Mongolia. [more]

Samotragus

[more]

Selenoportax

Sigmoceros

Lichtenstein's hartebeest (Alcelaphus lichtensteinii) is a savannah and floodplain dwelling antelope found in southern Central Africa. By some this species is classified as Sigmoceros lichtensteinii. [more]

Simatherium

Sinocapra

Sivaceros

Sivoreas

Soergelia

Spirocerus

Strepsiceros

A Genus in the Kingdom Animalia.[13] [more]

Strogulognathus

Sylvicapra

The common duiker, Sylvicapra grimmia, also known as the grey or bush duiker, is a small antelope with small horns found in west, central, east, and southern Africa- essentially everywhere in Africa south of the Sahara, excluding the horn of Africa and the rainforests of the central and western parts of the continent. Generally they are found in habitat that has sufficient vegetation cover to allow them to hide?savanna and hilly areas, including the fringes of human settlements. [more]

Symbos

[more]

Synceros

[more]

Syncerus

The African buffalo, affalo, nyati, Mbogo or Cape buffalo (Syncerus caffer) is a large African bovine. It is not closely related to the slightly larger wild Asian water buffalo, but its ancestry remains unclear. Owing to its unpredictable nature which makes it highly dangerous to humans, it has not been domesticated unlike its Asian counterpart the domestic Asian water buffalo. [more]

Taurotragus

Taurotragus, commonly called Eland, is a genus of of the African savannah, containing two species: the Common Eland and the Giant Eland. The elands are the largest African antelopes. [more]

Tchaltacerus

Tetraceros

Tetracerus

A Genus in the Kingdom unknown!.[14] [more]

Tragelaphus

The Tragelaphus contains several species of bovine, all of which are relatively antelope-like. Species in this genus tend to be large sized, lightly built, have long necks and considerable sexual dimorphism. The Common Eland (Taurotragus oryx) was once classified in this genus as T. oryz. [more]

Tragocerus

[more]

Tragoportax

Tragospira

Turcocerus

[more]

Ugandax

More info about the Genus Ugandax may be found here.

References

[ Back to top ]
  1. ^ Grubb, Peter (16 November 2005). "FAMILY Bovidae". In Wilson, Don E., and Reeder, DeeAnn M., eds. Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2 vols. (2142 pp.). ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494. http://www.bucknell.edu/msw3/browse.asp?id=14200485
  2. ^ Janis, C. & Jarman, P. (1984). Macdonald, D.. ed. The Encyclopedia of Mammals. New York: Facts on File. pp. 498?499. ISBN 0-87196-871-1. 
  3. ^ Bibi, F.; Bukhsianidze,M.,Gentry,A.,Geraads,D.,Kostopoulos,D.,Vrba,E. (2009). "The fossil record and evolution of Bovidae: State of the field". Paleontologia Electronica 12 (3): 10A. http://palaeo-electronica.org/2009_3/169/index.html
  4. ^ Gatesy, J.; Yelon,D.,DeSalle,R.,Vrba,E. (1992). "Phylogeny of the Bovidae (Artiodactyla, Mammalia), Based on Mitochondrial Ribosomal DNA Sequences". Mol. Biol. Evol. 9 (3): 433?446. PMID 1584013
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Bibliography

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Footnotes

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  1. http://www.ubio.org/browser/details.php?namebankID=112459
  2. http://www.ubio.org/browser/details.php?namebankID=112464
  3. http://www.ubio.org/browser/details.php?namebankID=112730
  4. http://www.ubio.org/browser/details.php?namebankID=112888
  5. http://www.ubio.org/browser/details.php?namebankID=106257
  6. http://www.ubio.org/browser/details.php?namebankID=112962
  7. http://www.ubio.org/browser/details.php?namebankID=113149
  8. http://www.ubio.org/browser/details.php?namebankID=113160
  9. http://www.ubio.org/browser/details.php?namebankID=113187
  10. http://www.ubio.org/browser/details.php?namebankID=106148
  11. http://www.ubio.org/browser/details.php?namebankID=106225
  12. http://www.ubio.org/browser/details.php?namebankID=113426
  13. http://www.ubio.org/browser/details.php?namebankID=113508
  14. http://www.ubio.org/browser/details.php?namebankID=106183

Sources

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Last Revised: August 24, 2012
2012/08/24 13:25:56