Bovinae Fossil range: Miocene to Recent
water buffalo
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, the 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 obscure, and their classification into loose tribes rather than formal sub-groups reflects this uncertainty. General characteristics include cloven hoofs and usually at least one of the sexes of a species having true horns.

In most countries, bovines are used for food. Cattle are eaten almost everywhere except in some parts of India and Nepal, where bovines are considered sacred by Hindus.

Evolution

The closest relations to this subfamily are the Boselaphini and Tragelaphini tribes. There are 13 extant members. These species appear to have evolved over the last 5-8 million years.¹ The first clade to diverge was the Buffalo clade (Bubalus and Syncerus species). This was followed by the Banteng/Gaur/Mithan clade and the domestic cattle clade. A fourth clade leading to the Bison and Yak species may also exist.

Systematics and classification

• FAMILY BOVIDAE
  • Subfamily Bovinae
    • Tribe Boselaphini
      • Genus Tetracerus
        • Four-horned Antelope, Tetracerus quadricornis
      • Genus Boselaphus
        • Nilgai or Blue Bull, Boselaphus tragocamelus (not to be confused with the extinct Bluebuck Hippotragus leucophaeus, Hippotraginae)
    • Tribe Bovini
      • Genus Bubalus
        • Domestic Asian 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 mutus
        • Domestic Cattle, Bos taurus (increasingly considered a subspecies of Bos primigenius)
        • Kouprey, Bos sauveli
      • Genus Pseudonovibos
        • Kting Voar, Pseudonovibos spiralis (cryptid)
      • Genus Pseudoryx
        • Saola, Pseudoryx nghetinhensis
      • Genus Syncerus
        • African Buffalo, Syncerus caffer
      • Genus Bison
        • American Bison, Bison bison
        • Wisent, Bison bonasus
        • Steppe Wisent†, Bison priscus (extinct)
        • Ancient Bison†, Bison antiquus (extinct)
      • Genus Pelorovis† (extinct)
        • Giant buffalo, Pelorovis antiquus
    • 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

1. ^ Maceachern S., McEwan J., Goddard M. (2009) Phylogenetic reconstruction and the identification of ancient polymorphism in the Bovini tribe (Bovidae, Bovinae). BMC Genomics 10(1):177

• 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.

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