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 of bovids 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
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, bovine 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. Bovines are used as draft animals and as riding animals. Small breeds of domestic bovine, such as the Miniature Zebu, are kept as pets. Bovine leather is durable and flexible and is used to produce a wide range of goods including clothing and bags.

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, Boselaphus tragocamelus
        B. t. tragocamelus (Indian nilgai)
    - Genus †Duboisia
      - †D. santeng
  - 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
  - Tribe Bovini
    - Subtribe Pseudorygina
      - Genus Pseudoryx
        Saola, Pseudoryx nghetinhensis
    - Subtribe Bubalina
      - 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 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†
    - Subtribe Bovina
      - 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)
        
        Zebu cattle, Bos indicus
        
        Domestic cattle, Bos taurus
        Taurine cattle, B. t. taurus
        
        Sanga cattle, B. t. africanus
      - 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 howelli†
      - ?Pelorovis praeafricanus†

Etymology

Bovine is derived from Latin bos, "ox", through Late Latin bovinus. Bos comes from the Indo-European root *g^wous, meaning ox.

Systematics and classification

Etymology

See also