| Bovinae Temporal range: Miocene to Recent |
|
|---|---|
| water buffalo | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| (unranked) | Ruminantiamorpha |
| Suborder: | Ruminantia |
| Infraorder: | Pecora |
| Family: | Bovidae |
| Subfamily: | Bovinae Gray, 1821 |
| Tribes | |
| Bovine range | |
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, bovids are used for food. Cattle are eaten almost everywhere except in major parts of India and Nepal, where bovids are considered sacred by Hindus.
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Bovine is derived from Latin bos, "ox", through Late Latin bovinus. Bos comes from the Indo-European root *gwous, meaning ox.