Family of mammals belonging to even-toed ungulates
Bovidae
Temporal range: 20–0 Ma
PreꞒ
Ꞓ
O
S
D
C
P
T
J
K
Pg
N
Early Miocene present
Example Bovidae (clockwise from top left) – addax (Addax nasomaculatus), domestic cattle (Bos taurus), mountain gazelle (Gazella gazella), impala (Aepyceros melampus), blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus), and mouflon (Ovis gmelini)
Scientific classification
Domain:
Eukaryota
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Mammalia
Order:
Artiodactyla
Infraorder:
Pecora
Superfamily:
Bovoidea
Family:
Bovidae Gray, 1821
Type genus
Bos
Linnaeus, 1758
Subfamilies
Aepycerotinae (1 genus)
Alcelaphinae (4 genera)
Antilopinae (3 tribes and 14 genera)
Bovinae (3 tribes and 15 genera)
Caprinae (3 tribes and 15 genera)
Cephalophinae (3 genera)
Hippotraginae (3 genera)
Nesotraginae (1 genus)
Oreotraginae (1 genus)
Reduncinae (3 genera)
†Hypsodontinae
Alternate taxonomy:
Antilopinae (10 tribes and 45 genera)
Bovinae (3 tribes and 15 genera)
†Hypsodontinae
The Bovidae comprise the biological family of cloven-hoofed, ruminant mammals that includes cattle, yaks, bison, buffalo, antelopes (including goat-antelopes), sheep and goats. A member of this family is called a bovid. With 143 extant species and 300 known extinct species, the family Bovidae consists of 11 (or two) major subfamilies and thirteen major tribes. The family evolved 20 million years ago, in the early Miocene.
The bovids show great variation in size and pelage colouration. Except some domesticated forms, all male bovids have two or more horns, and in many species, females possess horns, too. The size and shape of the horns vary greatly, but the basic structure is always one or more pairs of simple bony protrusions without branches, often having a spiral, twisted or fluted form, each covered in a permanent sheath of keratin. Most bovids bear 30 to 32 teeth.
Most bovids are diurnal. Social activity and feeding usually peak during dawn and dusk. Bovids typically rest before dawn, during midday, and after dark. They have various methods of social organisation and social behaviour, which are classified into solitary and gregarious behaviour. Bovids use different forms of vocal, olfactory, and tangible communication. Most species alternately feed and ruminate throughout the day. While small bovids forage in dense and closed habitat, larger species feed on high-fiber vegetation in open grasslands. Most bovids are polygynous. Mature bovids mate at least once a year and smaller species may even mate twice. In some species, neonate bovids remain hidden for a week to two months, regularly nursed by their mothers; in other species, neonates are followers, accompanying their dams, rather than tending to remain hidden.
The greatest diversities of bovids occur in Africa. The maximum concentration of species is in the savannas of Eastern Africa. Other bovid species also occur in Europe, Asia, and North America. Bovidae includes three of the five domesticated mammals whose use has spread outside their original ranges, namely cattle, sheep, and goats. Dairy products, such as milk, butter, and cheese, are manufactured largely from domestic cattle. Bovids are also raised for their leather, meat, and wool.
The Bovidae comprise the biological family of cloven-hoofed, ruminant mammals that includes cattle, yaks, bison, buffalo, antelopes (including goat-antelopes)...
sometimes referred to as the tribe Caprini, is part of the ruminant family Bovidae, and consists of mostly medium-sized bovids. A member of this subfamily...
Bovoidea is a superfamily of pecoran ruminants containing the Bovidae and Moschidae. The Bovoidea today is defined in part by very specific dental and...
Alexandre; Ropiquet, A. (2004). "Molecular phylogeny of the tribe Bovini (Bovidae, Bovinae) and the taxonomic status of the Kouprey, Bos sauveli Urbain 1937"...
doi:10.1080/02724634.1995.10011262. Geraads, D.; et al. (2012). "Pliocene Bovidae (Mammalia) from the Hadar Formation of Hadar and Ledi-Geraru, Lower Awash...
revealed that Moschidae and Bovidae form a clade sister to Cervidae. According to the study, Cervidae diverged from the Bovidae-Moschidae clade 27 to 28...
Bovidae in Chinese mythology include various myths and legends about a group of biologically distinct animals which form important motifs within Chinese...
domestication generally considered to be 8,000 BC. Goats are part of the family Bovidae, a broad and populous group which includes a variety of ruminants such...
families: Tragulidae, Giraffidae, Antilocapridae, Cervidae, Moschidae, and Bovidae. Hofmann and Stewart divided ruminants into three major categories based...
genus of mammals, part of the Caprinae subfamily of the ruminant family Bovidae. Its seven highly sociable species are known as sheep or ovines. Domestic...
existing in India. It is the largest species among the wild cattle and the Bovidae. The domesticated form of the gaur is called gayal (Bos frontalis) or mithun...
make up the subfamily Hippotraginae or tribe Hippotragini of the family Bovidae. As grazers, rather than browsers, the "Hippo" in Hippotraginae refers...
nilgai is the sole member of the genus Boselaphus and placed in the family Bovidae. The species was described and given its binomial name by the German zoologist...
Connochaetes and native to Eastern and Southern Africa. They belong to the family Bovidae, which includes true antelopes, cattle, goats, sheep, and other even-toed...
of the subfamily Bovinae, they are the largest species of their family Bovidae. The largest species is the gaur (Bos gaurus), weighing up to 1,500 kg...
OCLC 62265494. Khan, M.A.; Akhtar, M. (2014). "Antelopes (Mammalia, Ruminantia, Bovidae) from the Upper Siwaliks of Tatrot, Pakistan, with description of a new...
Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the family Bovidae, meaning it is closely related to the sheep. There are over 300 distinct...
Bovidae Species Common name Distribution Status Image Bison bison American bison Reintroduced, see below. NT B. b. bison Plains bison Reintroduced at...
This is a list of Ice Age species preserved as permafrost mummies. It includes all known species that have had their tissues partially preserved within...
found mainly among: Ruminant artiodactyls Antilocapridae (pronghorns) Bovidae (cattle, goats, antelopes etc.). Giraffidae: Giraffids have a pair of skin...
extant or recently extinct species of the ruminant artiodactyl family Bovidae that are indigenous to most of Africa, India, the Middle East, Central...
used to produce a wide range of goods including clothing and bags. Family Bovidae Subfamily Bovinae Tribe Boselaphini Genus Tetracerus Four-horned antelope...
romanized: mâthi-môs, ᒫᖨᒧᐢᑐᐢ, mâthi-mostos), is a hoofed mammal of the family Bovidae. Native to the Arctic, it is noted for its thick coat and for the strong...
revealed that Moschidae and Bovidae form a clade sister to Cervidae. According to the study, Cervidae diverged from the Bovidae-Moschidae clade 27 to 28...
Ecology, 26(3), 221-227. C. P. Groves, D. M. Leslie Jr. (2011) Family Bovidae (Hollow-horned Ruminants). pp. 585–588. In: Wilson, D. E., Mittermeier...
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