Bubalina

Last updated

Bubalina
Temporal range: Late Miocene – present, 13.7–0  Ma
Feral buffaloes AJTJohnsingh.jpg
Feral water buffalo
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Bovidae
Subfamily: Bovinae
Tribe: Bovini
Subtribe: Bubalina
Rütimeyer, 1865
Type species
Bubalus bubalis
Genera
Synonyms
  • Buffelinae (Knottnerus-Meyer, 1907)
  • Syncerina (Pilgrim, 1939)

Bubalina is a subtribe of wild cattle that includes the various species of true buffalo. Species include the African buffalo, the anoas, and the wild water buffalo (including the domesticated variant water buffalo). Buffaloes can be found naturally in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and Southeast Asia, and domestic and feral populations have been introduced to Europe, the Americas, and Australia. [2] In addition to the living species, bubalinans have an extensive fossil record where remains have been found in much of Afro-Eurasia. [3]

Contents

Despite being sometimes referred to as buffaloes, bison are not members of the Bubalina, but are instead classified in the subtribe Bovina.

Taxonomy

Placement within Bovini

Phylogenetic relationships of extant genera of the tribe Bovini (Hassanin et al., 2013) [4]

The majority of phylogenetic work based on ribosomal DNA, chromosomal analysis, autosomal introns and mitochondrial DNA has recovered three distinctive subtribes of Bovini: Pseudorygina (represented solely by the saola), Bubalina, and Bovina (which today are represented by the genera Bison and Bos ). [4] [5] [6] [7] One cytogenetic analysis concerning the phylogenetic position on the saola suggests the species could be related to buffalo. [8] This relationship has not, however, been supported by most phylogenetic work concerning Bovini. [4] [7] [9]

Genera and species

Extant

There are currently two recognized extant genera of bubalinans – the African Syncerus and the Asiatic Bubalus . [1] [5] [9] [2] Whilst the majority of molecular and morphological work strongly supports the recognition of these two genera as being sister taxa, [5] [10] since 2011 new uncertainty over the number of species that should be recognized has been introduced. [9] [2] In the 'traditional' classification given by Peter Grubb in the 2005 third edition of the widely used taxonomic reference work Mammal Species of the World the following six species are recognized, [11] with the African buffalo split into five subspecies [12] based on differences in the horns and skin colouration. [9]

In 2011, Groves and Grubb recognised four of the subspecies of the African buffalo as independent species. These they argued, should be considered as separate species based on the phylogenetic species concept, which states that any population can be recognised as a species if a member is diagnosable as belonging to that population. [9] The African buffalo is noted to exhibit extreme morphological variability, and in the past a number of discrete species or subspecies have been named for specific geographic populations. [13] The bovid biologist Castelló adopted the Groves and Grubb taxonomic interpretation, [2] but others have expressed their concern that this taxonomic proposal needs more additional evidence before being adopted. [14]

Below is the listing of 'new' species recognized by Groves and Grubb (2011) [9] with vernacular names following Castelló (2016) from Bovids of the World: [2] Note other vernacular names have been used by others, and in practice all taxa are simply known as "Cape buffalo".

  • Syncerus nanus(Boddaert, 1785) – Forest buffalo
  • Syncerus brachyceros(Gray, 1837) – Lake Chad buffalo
  • Syncerus mathewsi(Lydekker, 1904) – Virunga buffalo
  • Syncerus caffer(Sparrman, 1779) – Cape buffalo

In fossil record

The fossil record of buffalos is extensive, with fossils found throughout Africa and Eurasia. [3] According to the fossil record and the molecular work, Bubalina and Bovina diverged from one and another from a common ancestor around 13.7 million years ago in the Late Miocene. [1] [3] [4] The Syncerus lineage and the Bubalus lineage diverged from each other in the Late Miocene, perhaps give or take between 8.2 and 9.1 million years ago. [1] [3] [4] This divergence corresponds to the time when the ancestor of Syncerus had arrived into Africa from Asia. [3] [15]

Below is the list of a number of the described fossil species (listed alphabetically):

  • Subtribe Bubalina (Rütimeyer, 1865)
  • Hemibos acuticornis(Falconer & Gautley, 1868)
  • Hemibos antelopinus(Falconer & Gautley, 1868)
  • Hemibos galerianus(Petronio & Sardella, 1998)
  • Hemibos gracilis(Qiu, 2004)
  • Hemibos triquetricornis(Falconer, 1865)
  • Genus † Parabos (Arambourg & Piveteau, 1929)
  • Parabos cordieri(de Christol, 1832)
  • Parabos macedoniae(Arambourg & Piveteau, 1929)
  • Parabos soriae(Morales, 1984)
  • Proamphibos hasticornis(Pilgrim, 1939)
  • Proamphibos kashmiricus(Pilgrim, 1939)
  • Proamphibos lachrymans(Pilgrim, 1939)
  • Genus † Ugandax (Cooke & Coryndon, 1970)
  • Ugandax coryndonae(Gentry, 2006)
  • Ugandax demissum(Gentry, 1980)
  • Ugandax gautieri(Cooke & Coryndon, 1970)

Feral buffaloes

Domestic and feral populations have been introduced to Europe, the Americas, and Australia. [2] Feral buffaloes in Australia are water buffalo of two types: river and swamp buffalo, and live in the Top End. Some have been re-domesticated. [18]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anoa</span> Dwarf buffalo from Sulawesi

Anoa, also known as dwarf buffalo and sapiutan, are two species of the genus Bubalus, placed within the subgenus Anoa and endemic to the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia: the mountain anoa and the lowland anoa. Both live in undisturbed rainforests and are similar in appearance to miniature water buffaloes, weighing 150–300 kg (330–660 lb).

Buffalo most commonly refers to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bovinae</span> Subfamily of mammals

Bovines 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 evolutionary relationship between the members of the group is still debated, and their classification into loose tribes rather than formal subgroups reflects this uncertainty. 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.

<i>Bubalus</i> Genus of bovines

Bubalus is a genus of Asiatic bovines that was proposed by Charles Hamilton Smith in 1827. Bubalus and Syncerus form the subtribe Bubalina, the true buffaloes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caprinae</span> Subfamily of mammals

The subfamily Caprinae, also 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 is called a caprine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bovidae</span> Family of mammals belonging to even-toed ungulates

The Bovidae comprise the biological family of cloven-hoofed, ruminant mammals that includes cattle, yaks, bison, buffalo, 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 major subfamilies and thirteen major tribes. The family evolved 20 million years ago, in the early Miocene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tamaraw</span> Species of buffalo

The tamaraw or Mindoro dwarf buffalo is a small buffalo belonging to the family Bovidae. It is endemic to the island of Mindoro in the Philippines, and is the only endemic Philippine bovine. It is believed, however, to have once also thrived on the larger island of Luzon. The tamaraw was originally found all over Mindoro, from sea level up to the mountains, but because of human habitation, hunting, and logging, it is now restricted to only a few remote grassy plains and is now a critically endangered species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Four-horned antelope</span> Small antelope from Asia (Tetracerus quadricornis)

The four-horned antelope, also called chousingha, is a small bovid antelope native to central, South and Western India, along with a smaller population in Nepal. The sole member of the genus Tetracerus, the chousingha was first described in 1816 by French zoologist Henri Marie Ducrotay de Blainville. Three regional subspecies are currently recognised. The four-horned antelope has a yellowish-tan, sometimes reddish or goldenrod coat. It is slender with thin legs and a short tail. It stands nearly 55–64 cm (22–25 in) at the shoulder and weighs about 17–22 kg (37–49 lb). Its four horns are unique among antelopes and distinguish it from most other bovids. The longer pair of straight, spike-like horns is atop its head between the ears, while the other, shorter pair is on the forehead; its posterior horns are always longer than the anterior horns, which may even present as merely fur-covered "studs". While the posterior horns measure 8–12 cm (3.1–4.7 in), the anterior ones are usually 2–5 cm (0.79–1.97 in) long.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nilgai</span> Largest living Asian antelope

The nilgai is the largest antelope of Asia, and is ubiquitous across the northern Indian subcontinent. It is the sole member of the genus Boselaphus, which was first described by Peter Simon Pallas in 1766. The nilgai stands 1–1.5 m (3.3–4.9 ft) at the shoulder; males weigh 109–288 kg (240–635 lb), and the lighter females 100–213 kg (220–470 lb). A sturdy thin-legged antelope, the nilgai is characterised by a sloping back, a deep neck with a white patch on the throat, a short crest of hair along the neck terminating in a tuft, and white facial spots. A column of pendant coarse hair hangs from the dewlap ridge below the white patch. Sexual dimorphism is prominent – while females and juveniles are orange to tawny, adult males have a bluish-grey coat. Only males possess horns, 15–24 cm (5.9–9.4 in) long.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saola</span> Species of mammal

The saola, also called spindlehorn, Asian unicorn, or infrequently, Vu Quang bovid, is one of the world's rarest large mammals, a forest-dwelling bovine native to the Annamite Range in Vietnam and Laos. It was described in 1993 following a discovery of remains in Vũ Quang National Park by a joint survey of the Vietnamese Ministry of Forestry and the World Wide Fund for Nature. Saolas have since been kept in captivity multiple times, although only for short periods as they died within a matter of weeks to months. The species was first reported in 1992 by Do Tuoc, a forest ecologist, and his associates. The first photograph of a living saola was taken in captivity in 1993. The most recent one was taken in 2013 by a movement-triggered camera in the forest of central Vietnam. It is the only species in the genus Pseudoryx.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kting voar</span> Putative species of mammal

The kting voar, also known as the khting vor, linh dương, or snake-eating cow is a bovid mammal reputed to exist in Cambodia and Vietnam. The kting voar's existence as a real species should be regarded as questionable, and it is now thought to simply be a hoax made from water buffalo horns.

<i>Syncerus</i> Genus of mammals

Syncerus is a genus of African bovid that contains the living Cape buffalo (Syncerus caffer), including the distinct African forest buffalo.

<i>Pelorovis</i> Extinct genus of cattle

Pelorovis is an extinct genus of African wild cattle which existed during the Pleistocene epoch. The best known species is Pelorovis oldowayensis from Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania, from the Early Pleistocene. The species "Pelorovis" antiquus from the Late Pleistocene-Holocene has since been moved into Syncerus, the same genus as living African buffalo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bovini</span> Tribe of cattle

The tribe Bovini or wild cattle are medium to massive bovines that are native to Eurasia, North America, and Africa. These include the enigmatic, antelope-like saola, the African and Asiatic buffalos, and a clade that consists of bison and the wild cattle of the genus Bos. Not only are they the largest members of the subfamily Bovinae, they are the largest species of their family Bovidae. The largest species is the gaur, weighing up to 1,500 kg (3,300 lb).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tragelaphini</span> Tribe of antelopes

The tribe Tragelaphini, or the spiral-horned antelopes, are bovines that are endemic to sub-Saharan Africa. These include the bushbucks, kudus, and the elands. The scientific name is in reference to the mythical creature the tragelaph, a Chimera with the body of a stag and the head of a goat. They are medium-to-large, tall, long-legged antelopes characterized by their iconic twisted horns and striking pelage coloration patterns.

<i>Syncerus antiquus</i> Extinct species of buffalo

Syncerus antiquus is an extinct species of buffalo from the Late Pleistocene and Holocene of Africa. It was one of the largest species in its family, potentially weighing up to 2,000 kilograms (4,400 lb). Due to this fact, it is sometimes known as the African giant buffalo. The time of its extinction is of debate; Syncerus antiquus either became extinct at the end of the Late Pleistocene about 12,000 years ago or during the Holocene, some 4,000 years ago.

<i>Ugandax</i> Extinct genus of mammals

Ugandax is an extinct genus of bovines in the subtribe Bubalina that lived from the Miocene to the Pleistocene of Africa. Cladistic analyses suggest Ugandax represents an ancestral form of the African buffalo, Syncerus, and teeth assigned to Ugandax represent the earliest appearance of bovines in Africa.

<i>Hemibos</i> Extinct genus of mammal

Hemibos is an extinct even-toed ungulate, belonging to the family Bovidae. Its fossil remains were found across Asia and Europe, including findings from China, the Italian Peninsula, the Iberian Peninsula, the State of Palestine, Israel, Pakistan, and India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bovina (subtribe)</span> Subtribe of cattle

Bovina is a subtribe of the Bovini tribe that generally includes the two living genera, Bison and Bos. However, this dichotomy has been challenged recently by molecular work that suggests that Bison should be regarded as a subgenus of Bos. Wild bovinans can be found naturally in North America and Eurasia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saigini</span> Tribe of mammals

Saigini is a tribe of artiodactyl mammals of the Bovidae family, subfamily Antilopinae, comprising two species of medium-sized antelopes that inhabit the Eurasian steppes.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Hassanin, Alexandre; Ropiquet, A. (2004). "Molecular phylogeny of the tribe Bovini (Bovidae, Bovinae) and the taxonomic status of the Kouprey, Bos sauveli Urbain 1937". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 33 (3): 896–907. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2004.08.009. PMID   15522811.[ dead link ]
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Castelló, J.R. (2016). Bovids of the Word. Princeton University Press.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Hassanin, Alexandre (January 2014). "Systematic and evolution of Bovini". In Melletti, D.R.; Burton, J. (eds.). Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour of Wild Cattle: Implications for Conservation. Cambridge University Press. pp. 7–21.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Hassanin, A.; An, J.; Ropiquet, A.; Nguyen, T.T.; Couloux, A. (2013). "Combining multiple autosomal introns for studying shallow phylogeny and taxonomy of Laurasiatherian mammals: Application to the tribe Bovini (Cetartiodactyla, Bovidae)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 63 (3): 766–775. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2012.11.003. PMID   23159894.
  5. 1 2 3 Tanaka, K.; Solis, C.D.; Masangkay, J.S.; Maeda, K.L.; Kawamoto, Y.; Namikawa, T. (1996). "Phylogenetic relationship among all living species of the genus Bubalus based on DNA sequences of the cytochrome b gene". Biochemical Genetics. 34 (11): 443–452. doi:10.1007/BF00570125. PMID   9126673. S2CID   22075565.
  6. Hassanin, A.; Douzery, E. J. P. (1999). "Evolutionary affinities of the enigmatic saola (Pseudoryx nghetinhensis) in the context of the molecular phylogeny of Bovidae". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 266 (1422): 893–900. doi:10.1098/rspb.1999.0720. PMC   1689916 . PMID   10380679.
  7. 1 2 Bibi, F. (2013). "Phylogenetic relationships in the subfamily Bovinae (Mammalia: Artiodactyla) based on ribosomal DNA". BMC Evolutionary Biology. 13 (166): 166. doi: 10.1186/1471-2148-13-166 . PMC   3751017 . PMID   23927069.
  8. Nguyen, T.T.; Aniskin, V.M.; Gerbault-Seureau, M.; Planton, J.P.; Renard, B.X.; Nguyen, A.; Hassanin, A.; Volobouev, V.T. (2008). "Phylogenetic position of the saola (Pseudoryx nghetinhensis) inferred from cytogenetic analysis of eleven species of Bovidae". Cytogenetic and Genome Research. 122 (1): 41–54. doi:10.1159/000151315. PMID   18931485. S2CID   20910793.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Groves, C.; Grubb, P. (2011). Ungulate Taxonomy. The Johns Hopkins University Press.
  10. Lenstra, J.A.; Bradley, D.G. (1999). "Systematics and phylogeny of cattle". The Genetics of Cattle: 1–14.
  11. Wilson, W.E.; Reeder, D.M., eds. (2005). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. The Johns Hopkins University Press.
  12. Grubb, Peter (2005). "Syncerus". In Wilson, Don E.; Reeder, DeeAnn M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World. A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd (online edition) ed.). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN   9780801882210.
  13. Kingdon, J. (2015). The Kingdon Field Guide to African Mammals. Princeton University Press.
  14. Heller, R.; Frandsen, P.; Lorenzen, E. D.; Siegismund, H. R. (2013). "Are there really twice as many bovid species as we thought?". Systematic Biology. 62 (3): 490–493. doi: 10.1093/sysbio/syt004 . hdl: 10400.7/566 . PMID   23362112.
  15. Haile-Selassie, Yohannes; Vrba, Elizabeth S.; Bibi, Faysal (2009). "Bovidae". In Haile-Selassie, Yohannes; WoldeGabriel, Giday (eds.). Ardipithecus Kadabba: Late Miocene Evidence from the Middle Awash, Ethiopia. University of California Press. pp. 295–. ISBN   978-0-520-25440-4.
  16. Rozzi, R. (2017). "Rozzi, R. (2017). A new extinct dwarfed buffalo from Sulawesi and the evolution of the subgenus Anoa: An interdisciplinary perspective". Quaternary Science Reviews. 157: 188–205. Bibcode:2017QSRv..157..188R. doi: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2016.12.011 .
  17. Bienvenido Martínez-Navarro, Juan Antonio Pérez-Claros, Maria Rita Palombo, Lorenzo Rook, and Paul Palmqvist: The Olduvai buffalo Pelorovis and the origin of Bos. Quaternary Research Volume 68, Issue 2, September 2007, Pages 220-226. online
  18. "The feral water buffalo (Bubalus Bubalis)" (PDF). Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. 2011.