Bovines (

subfamily In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end botanical subfamily names with "-oideae", and zo ...

Bovinae) comprise a diverse group of 10 genera of medium to large-sized

ungulate Ungulates ( ) are members of the diverse clade Euungulata ("true ungulates"), which primarily consists of large mammals with Hoof, hooves. Once part of the clade "Ungulata" along with the clade Paenungulata, "Ungulata" has since been determined ...

s, including

cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, bovid ungulates widely kept as livestock. They are prominent modern members of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus '' Bos''. Mature female cattle are calle ...

bison A bison (: bison) is a large bovine in the genus ''Bison'' (from Greek, meaning 'wild ox') within the tribe Bovini. Two extant taxon, extant and numerous extinction, extinct species are recognised. Of the two surviving species, the American ...

African buffalo The African buffalo (''Syncerus caffer)'' is a large sub-Saharan African bovine. The adult African buffalo's horns are its characteristic feature: they have fused bases, forming a continuous bone shield across the top of the head, referred to ...

water buffalo The water buffalo (''Bubalus bubalis''), also called domestic water buffalo, Asian water buffalo and Asiatic water buffalo, is a large bovid originating in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Today, it is also kept in Italy, the Balkans ...

s, and the four-horned and spiral-horned

antelopes The term antelope refers to numerous extant or recently extinct species of the ruminant artiodactyl family Bovidae that are indigenous to most of Africa, India, the Middle East, Central Asia, and a small area of Eastern Europe. Antelopes do no ...

. The members of this group are classified into loose

tribes The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide use of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. The definition is contested, in part due to conflict ...

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 Extant or Least-concern species, least concern is the opposite of the word extinct. It may refer to: * Extant hereditary titles * Extant literature, surviving literature, such as ''Beowulf'', the oldest extant manuscript written in English * Exta ...

bovine is the

gaur The gaur (''Bos gaurus''; ) is a large bovine native to the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia, and has been listed as Vulnerable species, Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 1986. The global population was estimated at a maximum of 21,000 ...

. In many countries, bovid

milk Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of lactating mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfeeding, breastfed human infants) before they are able to digestion, digest solid food. ...

and

meat Meat is animal Tissue (biology), tissue, often muscle, that is eaten as food. Humans have hunted and farmed other animals for meat since prehistory. The Neolithic Revolution allowed the domestication of vertebrates, including chickens, sheep, ...

is used as food by humans. Cattle are kept as

livestock Livestock are the Domestication, domesticated animals that are raised in an Agriculture, agricultural setting to provide labour and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, Egg as food, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The t ...

almost everywhere except in parts of

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

and

Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...

, where they are considered sacred by most

Hindus Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

. Bovids are used as

draft animal A working animal is an animal, usually domesticated, that is kept by humans and trained to perform tasks. Some are used for their physical strength (e.g. oxen and draft horses) or for transportation (e.g. riding horses and camels), while othe ...

s and as

riding animal A working animal is an animal, usually domestication, domesticated, that is kept by humans and trained to perform tasks. Some are used for their physical strength (e.g. oxen and draft horses) or for transportation (e.g. riding horses and camels ...

s. Small breeds of domestic bovid, such as the

Miniature Zebu The Miniature Zebu is a modern American breed of zebuine miniature cattle. It is a rare breed of Zebu that is critically endangered. A breed association was established in 1991. History India has numerous traditional breeds of very small z ...

, are kept as pets. Bovid

leather Leather is a strong, flexible and durable material obtained from the tanning (leather), tanning, or chemical treatment, of animal skins and hides to prevent decay. The most common leathers come from cattle, sheep, goats, equine animals, buffal ...

is durable and flexible and is used to produce a wide range of goods including

clothing Clothing (also known as clothes, garments, dress, apparel, or attire) is any item worn on a human human body, body. Typically, clothing is made of fabrics or textiles, but over time it has included garments made from animal skin and other thin s ...

and

bags A bag, also known regionally as a sack, is a common tool in the form of a floppy container, typically made of cloth, leather, bamboo, paper, or plastic. The use of bags predates recorded history, with the earliest bags being lengths of animal s ...

Systematics and classification

* Family

Bovidae The Bovidae comprise the family (biology), biological family of cloven-hoofed, ruminant mammals that includes Bos, cattle, bison, Bubalina, buffalo, antelopes (including Caprinae, goat-antelopes), Ovis, sheep and Capra (genus), goats. A member o ...

** Subfamily Bovinae *** Tribe

Boselaphini Boselaphini is a tribe (biology), tribe of Bovinae, bovines. It contains only two extant taxon, extant genus, genera, each with a single extant species. Description The Boselaphini or four-horned antelope tribe are the last survivors of a form v ...

**** Genus ''

Tetracerus The four-horned antelope (''Tetracerus quadricornis''), also called ''chousingha'', is a small bovid antelope native to central, South and Western India, along with a smaller population in Nepal. The sole member of the genus ''Tetracerus'', t ...

'' *****

Four-horned antelope The four-horned antelope (''Tetracerus quadricornis''), also called ''chousingha'', is a small bovid antelope native to central, South and Western India, along with a smaller population in Nepal. The sole member of the genus ''Tetracerus'', t ...

, ''Tetracerus quadricornis'' ******''T. q. quadricornis'' ******''T. q. iodes'' ******''T. q. subquadricornis'' **** Genus '' Boselaphus'' *****

Nilgai The nilgai (''Boselaphus tragocamelus'') (, literally meaning "blue cow") is the largest antelope of Asia, and is ubiquitous across the northern Indian subcontinent. It is the sole member of the genus (biology), genus ''Boselaphus'', which was ...

, ''Boselaphus tragocamelus'' ******''B. t. tragocamelus'' (Indian nilgai) **** Genus '' †Duboisia'' *****'' †D. santeng'' *** Tribe

Bovini The tribe Bovini or wild cattle are medium to massive bovines that are native to Eurasia, North America, and Africa. These include the enigmatic, antelope-like saola, the African and Asiatic buffaloes, and a clade that consists of bison and the ...

**** Genus ''

Bubalus ''Bubalus'' is a genus of Asiatic bovines that was proposed by Charles Hamilton Smith in 1827. ''Bubalus'' and '' Syncerus'' form the subtribe Bubalina, the true buffaloes. The International Code of Zoological Nomenclature and classification ...

'' *****

Wild water buffalo The wild water buffalo (''Bubalus arnee''), also called Asian buffalo, Asiatic buffalo and wild buffalo, is a large bovine native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. It has been listed as ''Endangered'' in the IUCN Red List since 198 ...

, ''Bubalus arnee'' ***** Domestic water buffalo, ''Bubalus bubalis'' *****

Lowland anoa The lowland anoa ''(Bubalus depressicornis)'' is a species of buffalo endemic to Sulawesi. Its closest relative is the mountain anoa, and it is still a debate as to whether the two are the same species or not. It is also related to the water bu ...

, ''Bubalus depressicornis'' *****

Mountain anoa The mountain anoa ''(Bubalus quarlesi)'' also known as Quarle's anoa, is a species of buffalo endemic to Sulawesi. Its closest relative is the lowland anoa, and it is still a debate as to whether the two are the same species or not. It is also r ...

, ''Bubalus quarlesi'' *****

Tamaraw The tamaraw or Mindoro dwarf buffalo (''Bubalus mindorensis'') is a small buffalo belonging to the family Bovidae. It is endemic to the island of Mindoro in the Philippines, and is the only endemic Philippine bovine. It is believed, however, ...

, ''Bubalus mindorensis'' ***** Cebu tamaraw†, ''Bubalus cebuensis'' **** Genus '' Bos'' *****

Aurochs The aurochs (''Bos primigenius''; or ; pl.: aurochs or aurochsen) is an extinct species of Bovini, bovine, considered to be the wild ancestor of modern domestic cattle. With a shoulder height of up to in bulls and in cows, it was one of t ...

, ''Bos primigenius'' ****** Eurasian aurochs†, ''B. p. primigenius'' ******

Indian aurochs The Indian aurochs (''Bos primigenius namadicus''; ) is an extinct subspecies of aurochs that inhabited West Asia and the Indian subcontinent from the Late Pleistocene until its eventual extinction during the South Asian Stone Age. With no remain ...

†, ''B. p. namadicus'' *****

Banteng The banteng (''Bos javanicus''; ), also known as tembadau, is a species of wild Bovinae, bovine found in Southeast Asia. The head-and-body length is between . Wild banteng are typically larger and heavier than their Bali cattle, domesticated ...

, ''Bos javanicus'' ***** Domestic banteng, ''Bos domesticus'' *****

Gaur The gaur (''Bos gaurus''; ) is a large bovine native to the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia, and has been listed as Vulnerable species, Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 1986. The global population was estimated at a maximum of 21,000 ...

, ''Bos gaurus'' *****

Gayal The gayal (''Bos frontalis''), also known as mithun and drung ox, is a large domestic cattle distributed in Northeast India, Bangladesh, Myanmar and in Yunnan, China.Simoons, F. J. (1984). ''Gayal or mithan''. In: Mason, I. L. (ed.) ''Evolution ...

, ''Bos frontalis'' *****

Domestic yak The yak (''Bos grunniens''), also known as the Tartary ox, grunting ox, hairy cattle, or domestic yak, is a species of long-haired domesticated cattle found throughout the Himalayan region, the Tibetan Plateau, Tajikistan, the Pamir Mountains ...

, ''Bos grunniens'' *****

Wild yak The wild yak (''Bos mutus'') is a large, wild bovine native to the Himalayas. It is the ancestor of the domestic yak (''Bos grunniens''). Taxonomy The ancestor of the wild and domestic yak is thought to have diverged from '' Bos primigenius' ...

, ''Bos mutus'' ***** '' Bos palaesondaicus''†, *****

Kouprey The kouprey (''Bos sauveli''), also known as the forest ox and grey ox, is a possibly extinct species of forest-dwelling wild Bovinae, bovine native to Southeast Asia. It was first scientifically described in 1937. The name ''kouprey'' is derive ...

, ''Bos sauveli'' (possibly extinct) *****

Domestic cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, Domestication of vertebrates, domesticated, Bovidae, bovid ungulates widely kept as livestock. They are prominent modern members of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos ...

, ''Bos taurus'' ******

Taurine cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, bovid ungulates widely kept as livestock. They are prominent modern members of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus '' Bos''. Mature female cattle are called ...

, ''B. t. taurus'' ****** Zebu cattle, ''B. t. indicus'' ******

Sanga cattle Sanga cattle is the collective name for indigenous cattle of some regions in Africa. They are sometimes identified as a subspecies with the scientific name ''Bos taurus africanus''. Their history of domestication and their origins in relation to ...

, ''B. t. africanus'' **** Genus ''Pseudoryx'' *****

Saola The saola (''Pseudoryx nghetinhensis''), also called spindlehorn, Asian unicorn, or infrequently, Vu Quang bovid, is a forest-dwelling bovid native to the Annamite Range in Vietnam and Laos. It was described in 1993 following a discovery of ...

, ''Pseudoryx nghetinhensis'' **** Genus ''

Syncerus ''Syncerus'' is a genus of African bovid that contains the living Cape buffalo ''(Syncerus caffer)'', including the distinct African forest buffalo The African forest buffalo (''Syncerus caffer nanus''), also known as the dwarf buffalo or the ...

'' *****

, ''Syncerus caffer'' ******

Cape buffalo The African buffalo (''Syncerus caffer)'' is a large sub-Saharan African bovine. The adult African buffalo's horns are its characteristic feature: they have fused bases, forming a continuous bone shield across the top of the head, referred to ...

, ''S. c. caffer'' ****** Nile buffalo, ''S. c. aequinoctialis'' ****** Sudan buffalo, ''S. c. brachyceros'' ****** Forest buffalo, ''S. c. nanus'' ***** Giant buffalo, ''Syncerus antiquus''† **** Genus ''

Bison A bison (: bison) is a large bovine in the genus ''Bison'' (from Greek, meaning 'wild ox') within the tribe Bovini. Two extant taxon, extant and numerous extinction, extinct species are recognised. Of the two surviving species, the American ...

'' *****

American bison The American bison (''Bison bison''; : ''bison''), commonly known as the American buffalo, or simply buffalo (not to be confused with Bubalina, true buffalo), is a species of bison that is endemic species, endemic (or native) to North America. ...

, ''Bison bison'' ******

Wood bison The wood bison (''Bison bison athabascae'') or mountain bison (often called the wood buffalo or mountain buffalo), and Athabaskan bison (or Athabaskan buffalo), is a distinct northern subspecies or ecotype of the American bison. Its original ran ...

, ''B. b. athabascae'' ******

Plains bison The plains bison (''Bison bison bison'') is one of two subspecies/ecotypes of the American bison, the other being the wood bison (''B. b. athabascae''). A natural population of plains bison survives in Yellowstone National Park (the Yellowstone P ...

, ''B. b. bison'' *****

European bison The European bison (: bison) (''Bison bonasus'') or the European wood bison, also known as the wisent ( or ), the zubr (), or sometimes colloquially as the European buffalo, is a European species of bison. It is one of two extant species of bi ...

, ''Bison bonasus'' ***** ''

Bison palaeosinensis A bison (: bison) is a large bovine in the genus ''Bison'' (from Greek, meaning 'wild ox') within the tribe Bovini. Two extant and numerous extinct species are recognised. Of the two surviving species, the American bison, ''B. bison'', ...

''†, (extinct) ***** Steppe wisent†, ''Bison priscus'' ***** Ancient bison†, ''Bison antiquus'' ***** Long-horned bison†, ''Bison latifrons'' **** Genus '' Pelorovis''† (extinct) ***** '' Pelorovis oldowayensis† ***** ''Pelorovis turkanensis''† ***** ''Pelorovis howelli''† ***** ''?Pelorovis praeafricanus''† *** Tribe

Tragelaphini The tribe Tragelaphini (referred to by some authors as "Strepsicerotini"), or the spiral-horned antelopes, are bovines that are endemic to sub-Saharan Africa. These include the bushbucks, kudus, and the elands. The scientific name is in referen ...

**** Genus ''

Tragelaphus ''Tragelaphus'' is a genus of medium-to-large-sized spiral-horned antelopes. It contains several species of bovines, all of which are relatively antelope-like. Species in this genus tend to be large in size and lightly built, and have long necks ...

'' (

antelope The term antelope refers to numerous extant or recently extinct species of the ruminant artiodactyl family Bovidae that are indigenous to most of Africa, India, the Middle East, Central Asia, and a small area of Eastern Europe. Antelopes do ...

-like) ***** Bongo, ''Tragelaphus eurycerus'' ******''T. e. isaaci'' ******''T. e. eurycerus'' *****

Greater kudu The greater kudu (''Tragelaphus strepsiceros'') is a large woodland antelope, found throughout East Africa, eastern and southern Africa. Despite occupying such widespread territory (animal), territory, they are sparsely populated in most areas d ...

, ''Tragelaphus strepsiceros'' ******''T. s. strepsiceros'' ******''T. s. chora'' ******''T. s. cottoni'' *****

Cape bushbuck The Cape bushbuck (''Tragelaphus sylvaticus''), also known as imbabala is a common, medium-sized bushland-dwelling, and a widespread species of antelope in sub-Saharan Africa. It is found in a wide range of habitats, such as rain forests, montane ...

, ''Tragelaphus scriptus'' *****

Harnessed bushbuck The harnessed bushbuck (''Tragelaphus scriptus'') or northern bushbuck, is a medium-sized antelope, widespread in sub-Saharan-Africa. The harnessed bushbuck species has been separated from the Cape bushbuck, a southern and eastern species. Tax ...

, ''Tragelaphus sylvaticus'' *****

Lesser kudu The lesser kudu (''Tragelaphus imberbis'') is a medium-sized bushland antelope found in East Africa. The species is a part of the ungulate genus '' Tragelaphus'' (family Bovidae), along with several other related species of striped, spiral-horne ...

, ''Tragelaphus imberbis'' *****

Mountain nyala The mountain nyala (Amharic: የተራራ ኒዮላ) (''Tragelaphus buxtoni'') or balbok, is a large antelope found in high altitude woodlands in a small part of central Ethiopia. It is a monotypic species (without any identified subspecies) fi ...

, ''Tragelaphus buxtoni'' ***** Lowland nyala, ''Tragelaphus angasii'' *****

Sitatunga The sitatunga (''Tragelaphus spekii'') or marshbuck is a swamp-dwelling medium-sized antelope found throughout central Africa, centering on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo, Cameroon, parts of South Sudan, Southern ...

, ''Tragelaphus spekeii'' ******''T. s. selousi'' ******''T. s. gratus'' ******''T. s. spekii'' **** Genus ''

Taurotragus ''Taurotragus'' is a genus of giant antelopes of the African savanna, commonly known as elands. It contains two species: the common eland ''T. oryx'' and the giant eland ''T. derbianus''. Taxonomy ''Taurotragus'' is a Genus (biology), genus ...

'' *****

Common eland The common eland (''Taurotragus oryx''), also known as the southern eland or eland antelope, is a large savannah and plains antelope found in East Africa, East and Southern Africa. An adult male is around tall at the shoulder and can weigh up ...

, ''Taurotragus oryx'' ******''T. o. oryx'' ******''T. o. livingstonii'' ******''T. o. pattersonianus'' *****

Giant eland The giant eland (''Taurotragus derbianus''), also known as the Lord Derby's eland or greater eland, is an open-forest and savanna antelope. A species of the family Bovidae and genus ''Taurotragus'', it was described in 1847 by John Edward Gray. ...

, ''Taurotragus derbianus'' ******''T. d. derbianus'' ******''T. d. gigas''

Etymology

Bovine is derived from

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

''bos'', "ox", through

Late Latin Late Latin is the scholarly name for the form of Literary Latin of late antiquity.Roberts (1996), p. 537. English dictionary definitions of Late Latin date this period from the 3rd to 6th centuries CE, and continuing into the 7th century in ...

''bovinus''. Bos comes from the

Indo-European The Indo-European languages are a language family native to the northern Indian subcontinent, most of Europe, and the Iranian plateau with additional native branches found in regions such as Sri Lanka, the Maldives, parts of Central Asia (e. ...

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 The Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) is an American partnership of federal agencies designed to provide consistent and reliable information on the taxonomy of biological species. ITIS was originally formed in 1996 as an interagenc ...

.
Congress on Controversies in Bovine Health, Industry & Economics (CoBo)

Systematics and classification

Etymology

References

External links

See also