A gazelle is one of many

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 ...

species in the

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

''Gazella'' . There are also seven species included in two further genera; '' Eudorcas'' and '' Nanger'', which were formerly considered

subgenera In biology, a subgenus ( subgenera) is a taxonomic rank directly below genus. In the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, a subgeneric name can be used independently or included in a species name, in parentheses, placed between the ge ...

of ''Gazella''. A third former subgenus, '' Procapra'', includes three living species of Asian gazelles. Gazelles are known as swift animals. Some can run at bursts as high as or run at a sustained speed of . Gazelles are found mostly in the deserts, grasslands, and

savanna A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) biome and ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach th ...

s of

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

, but they are also found in

southwest The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A '' compass rose'' is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west— ...

and

central Asia Central Asia is a region of Asia consisting of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The countries as a group are also colloquially referred to as the "-stans" as all have names ending with the Persian language, Pers ...

and the

Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a physiographic region of Asia below the Himalayas which projects into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west. It is now divided between Bangladesh, India, and Pakista ...

. They tend to live in herds, and eat fine, easily digestible plants and leaves. Gazelles are relatively small antelopes, most standing high at the shoulder, and are generally fawn-colored. The gazelle genera are ''Gazella'', ''Eudorcas'', and ''Nanger''. The

taxonomy image:Hierarchical clustering diagram.png, 280px, Generalized scheme of taxonomy Taxonomy is a practice and science concerned with classification or categorization. Typically, there are two parts to it: the development of an underlying scheme o ...

of these genera is confused, and the classification of

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

and

subspecies In Taxonomy (biology), biological classification, subspecies (: subspecies) is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (Morphology (biology), morpholog ...

has been an unsettled issue. Currently, the genus ''Gazella'' is widely considered to contain about 10 species. One species is extinct: the Queen of Sheba's gazelle. Most surviving gazelle species are considered threatened to varying degrees. Closely related to the true gazelles are the Tibetan goa, and Mongolian gazelles (species of the genus ''Procapra''), the

blackbuck The blackbuck (''Antilope cervicapra''), also known as the Indian antelope, is a medium-sized antelope native to India and Nepal. It inhabits grassy plains and lightly forested areas with perennial water sources. It stands up to high at the sh ...

of Asia, and the African springbok. One widely familiar gazelle is the African species Thomson's gazelle (''Eudorcas thomsonii''), sometimes referred to as a "tommie". It is around in shoulder height and is coloured brown and white with a distinguishing black stripe. The males have long, often curved, horns. Like many other prey species, tommies exhibit a distinctive behaviour of stotting (running and jumping high before fleeing) when they are threatened by predators such as

cheetah The cheetah (''Acinonyx jubatus'') is a large Felidae, cat and the Fastest animals, fastest land animal. It has a tawny to creamy white or pale buff fur that is marked with evenly spaced, solid black spots. The head is small and rounded, wit ...

lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'', native to Sub-Saharan Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body (biology), body; a short, rounded head; round ears; and a dark, hairy tuft at the ...

s, African wild dogs, crocodiles, hyenas, and leopards.

Etymology

''Gazelle'' is derived from French ''gazelle'',

Old French Old French (, , ; ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France approximately between the late 8th -4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk of the beginnings of French, that is, when it wa ...

''gazel'', probably via Old Spanish ''gacel'', probably from North African pronunciation of ', Maghrebi pronunciation '. To Europe it first came to Old Spanish">Maghrebi Arabic">Maghrebi pronunciation '. To Europe it first came to Old Spanish and

Old French Old French (, , ; ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France approximately between the late 8th [2-4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk of the beginnings of French, that is, when it wa ...

, and then around 1600 the word entered the English language. The Arab people traditionally hunted the gazelle. Later appreciated for its grace, however, it became a symbol most commonly associated in Arabic literature with human beauty. In many countries in northwestern

Sub-Saharan Africa Sub-Saharan Africa is the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lie south of the Sahara. These include Central Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, and West Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the list of sovereign states and ...

, the gazelle is commonly referred to as "dangelo", meaning "swift deer".

Species

The gazelles are divided into three genera and numerous species.

Prehistoric species

Fossils of genus ''Gazella'' are found in

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and mea ...

Pliocene The Pliocene ( ; also Pleiocene) is the epoch (geology), epoch in the geologic time scale that extends from 5.33 to 2.58Pleistocene The Pleistocene ( ; referred to colloquially as the ''ice age, Ice Age'') is the geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was fin ...

deposits of Eurasia and Africa, which occupuied a broader distribution that modern members of the genus. The earliest members of the genus are known from the Middle Miocene of Africa, around 14 million years ago with members of the genus inhabiting Europe from the Late Miocene until their extinction in the region during the Early Pleistocene around 1.8 million years ago. * Genus ''Gazella'' ** '' Gazella borbonica'' - Early Pleistocene Europe ** '' Gazella capricornis'' - Miocene Asia ** '' Gazella harmonae'' -

Pliocene The Pliocene ( ; also Pleiocene) is the epoch (geology), epoch in the geologic time scale that extends from 5.33 to 2.58Ethiopia Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Ken ...

, unusual spiral horns ** '' Gazella praethomsoni'' - Pliocene Africa ** '' Gazella negevensis'' - Early Miocene Asia ** '' Gazella thomasi'' - Thomas's gazelle ** '' Gazella vanhoepeni'' - Pliocene Africa * Subgenus '' Vetagazella'' ** '' Gazella altidens'' ** '' Gazella blacki'' - Pliocene Asia ** '' Gazella deperdita'' - Late Miocene Europe ** '' Gazella dorcadoides'' - Middle Miocene Asia ** '' Gazella pilgrimi'' - Late Miocene Europe ** '' Gazella gaudryi'' - Middle Miocene Eurasia ** '' Gazella kueitensis'' - Pliocene Asia ** '' Gazella lydekkeri'' - Mid to Late Miocene Asia ** '' Gazella paotehensis'' - Middle Miocene Asia ** '' Gazella paragutturosa'' - Pleistocene Asia ** '' Gazella parasinensis'' - Pliocene Asia ** '' Gazella praegaudryi'' - Pleistocene Africa ** '' Gazella sinensis'' - Pliocene Asia ** '' Gazella brianus'' - Pliocene Asia * Subgenus ''Gazella'' ** '' Gazella janenschi'' - Pliocene Africa * Subgenus ''Trachelocele'' ** '' Gazella atlantica'' - Pleistocene Africa ** '' Gazella tingitana'' - Pleistocene Africa * Subgenus ''Deprezia'' ** '' Gazella psolea'' - Pliocene Africa

In culture

Symbolism

The gazelle, like the antelope to which it is related, is the totem of many African families. Some examples include the Joof family of the Senegambia region, the Bagananoa of

Botswana Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory part of the Kalahari Desert. It is bordered by South Africa to the sou ...

Southern Africa Southern Africa is the southernmost region of Africa. No definition is agreed upon, but some groupings include the United Nations geoscheme for Africa, United Nations geoscheme, the intergovernmental Southern African Development Community, and ...

(said to be descended from the BaHurutshe), and the Eraraka (or Erarak) clan of

Uganda Uganda, officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the ...

.Roscoe, John, ''The Northern Bantu: An Account of Some Central African Tribes of the Uganda Protectorate'', The University Press (1915), p. 262 As is common in many African societies, it is forbidden for the Joof or Eraraka to kill or touch the family totem.

Poetry

One of the traditional themes of Arabic love poetry involves comparing the gazelle with the beloved, and linguists theorize ''

ghazal ''Ghazal'' is a form of amatory poem or ode, originating in Arabic poetry that often deals with topics of spiritual and romantic love. It may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss, or separation from the beloved, and t ...

'', the word for love poetry in Arabic, is related to the word for gazelle. It is related that the

Caliph A caliphate ( ) is an institution or public office under the leadership of an Islamic steward with Khalifa, the title of caliph (; , ), a person considered a political–religious successor to the Islamic prophet Muhammad and a leader of ...

Abd al-Malik (646–705) freed a gazelle that he had captured because of her resemblance to his beloved: The theme is found in the ancient Hebrew

Song of Songs The Song of Songs (), also called the Canticle of Canticles or the Song of Solomon, is a Biblical poetry, biblical poem, one of the five ("scrolls") in the ('writings'), the last section of the Tanakh. Unlike other books in the Hebrew Bible, i ...

. (8:14)

Gallery

File:Grants Gazelle Gazella granti in Tanzania 2645 Nevit.jpg, Grant's gazelle (male) File:Gazella dama mhorr 2.jpg, Mhorr gazelle File:Cuvier's Gazelle.jpg, Cuvier's gazelle (female) File:Gazella thomsonii - Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge, Orlando, Florida, USA - 20100916.jpg, Thomson's gazelle (male) File:Gazella spekei (Speke's Gazelle).jpg, Speke's gazelle (female) File:Group of Gazella subgutturosa.JPG, Goitered gazelle (females and young) File:Chinkara.jpg, Chinkara (female) File:Gazella-dorcas.jpg, Dorcas gazelle (female) File:Gazella rufifrons AB.jpg, Red-fronted gazelle File:Gazella gazella.jpg, Mountain gazelle (male) File:GazellaSoemmerringiWolf.jpg, Soemmerring's gazelle (females) File:Slender-horned gazelle (Cincinnati Zoo).jpg, Slender-horned gazelle (male) File:Granada Alhambra gazelle Poterie 9019.JPG, Gazelles on one of the vases made for the Alhambra palace

References

External links

* {{Authority control Mammals of Africa True antelopes Extant Pliocene first appearances Taxa named by Henri Marie Ducrotay de Blainville