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Epididymal sperm morphology was evaluated by strict criteria using the DeSMA software. A total of 134 animals from the Dvůr Králové ZOO were included in the study. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of morphological defects of epididymal sperm in animals of the familyBovidaein species that are not native to the Czech Republic and are bred here only in zoos. Our results showed that the frequency of abnormalities was higher in exotic species of theBovidaefamily compared to domestic species. Furthermore, the acquired defects prevailed over developmental abnormalities. Cytoplasmic droplets are a characteristic feature of epididymal sperm. Their average prevalence in the wholeBovidaefamily is almost 30%. However, distal droplets are not considered to be sperm pathology and, therefore, they are not the most frequent defect. The most common abnormalities are acquired head defects, followed by acquired tail defects, and then by acquired neck defects, mainly represented by proximal cytoplasmic droplets. The lowest prevalence was found for developmental abnormalities, with heads being more often affected than tails. The remaining defects were sporadic.

Background The Saiga antelope (Saiga tatarica) is native to Eurasia and is a member of the family Bovidae. Prior to 1920, the antelope had been extensively hunted for its horns, which were used in traditional Chinese medicine. Since 1920, the Saiga antelope has been protected because of this extensive hunting, which nearly led to its extinction. Objective The study evaluated haematological and biochemical parameters to provide references for the Calf Saiga antelope (S. tatarica). The study also sought to explore the mechanisms affecting these parameters in both genders of the Calf Saiga antelope. Methods Haematological and biochemical parameters were collected from the Calf Saiga antelope. Haematological and biochemical parameters were analysed by the Coulter counter and Automatic analyser, respectively. Results The average concentrations of female triglyceride levels showed significantly higher values than the significant concentrations of male. Female red blood cells and platelets concentrations were statistically significant than the significant concentrations of males. Magnesium female concentrations were also significantly higher than male values. Other parameters showed differences between males and females. Conclusion The reported results show that haematological and biochemical characteristics varied among Calf Saiga antelope and other animals. The study results suggest that regardless of the factors, breed, the breeding environment, and climatic variables, haematological and biochemical variations can be triggered that can result in a reduction in the heat production needed for maintenance of homeothermy., The study assessed reference values of the Calf Saiga antelope living in Gansu Province. The findings indicated that parameters of Calf Saiga antelope differ from other members of the Bovidae family.

The Dhok Pathan Formation of Middle Siwaliks is remarkably rich for the fossils of ungulates. The fauna consists of Cervidae, Giraffidae, Tragulidae and Suidae but the fossils of family bovidae are...

We examined the dorsal lingual surfaces of an adult bharal (Pseudois nayaur) by scanning electron microscopy. The filiform papillae of the lingual apex and body consisted of a main papilla and smaller secondary papillae. The filiform papilla of the lingual body was big as compared to that of the lingual apex. The connective tissue cores of the filiform papillae consisted of several processes. The fungiform papilla was round in shape. The connective tissue cores of the fungiform papillae were flower-bud shaped. The lenticular papillae of large size were limited on the lingual prominence. The connective tissue cores of the lenticular papillae were hair-like in shape. The vallate papillae were located on both sides of the posterolateral aspects. The vallate papillae were flattened-oval shaped and the papillae were surrounded by an oval-shaped trench. The connective tissue cores of the vallate papillae were covered with numerous small spines The lingual surface of the bharal closely resembled that of the family Bovidae.

The control region is the major noncoding segment of animal mitochondrial DNA. The mammal family Bovidae comprises all artiodactyl ungulates. To infer the organization and variation of Bovidae mitochondrial DNA control region, the complete control region sequences of 91 species were analysed. The control region ranged from 677 bp (Saiga tatarica) to 1329 bp (Oryx dammah) in length and can be separated into three domains among these species. The control region has the same flanking gene order from tRNApro to tRNAPhe. Genetic distances between species ranged from 0.44% (between Bos javanicus and Bos taurus) to 24.05% (between Syncerus caffer and Gazella subgutturosa). The average genetic distances among the species within the genera varied from 2.78% (Procapra) to 22.07% (Hemitragus). The average genetic distances showed significantly negative correlation with ts/tv. The maximum-likelihood method was used to construct a phylogenetic tree. Members of Bovinae appear in basal position among the Bovidae lineage. Analysis of control region genes supported the hypothesis of polyphyly for Antilopinae.

This study evaluated the use of a commercially available, visual enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for diagnosis of pregnancy in okapi (Okapia johnstoni), gerenuk (Litocranius walleri), eastern giant eland (Tragelaphus derbianus spp. gigas), and dama gazelle (Nanger dama). This assay has been validated for use in domestic cattle, sheep, goats, and water buffalo. Unlike other blood-based pregnancy associated glycoprotein (PAG) detection methods, this assay does not require sophisticated laboratory equipment for detection or interpretation and can therefore be utilized in many settings. Banked serum samples from gerenuk (n = 11), giant eland (n = 4), dama gazelle (n = 33) and okapi (n = 3) were tested, and a pregnant and nonpregnant sample from each individual were included. The ELISA showed 100% sensitivity and specificity in gerenuk and giant eland samples, and 0% sensitivity in dama gazelle and okapi samples. Using this assay, pregnancy was detected by 7–8 wk gestation in gerenuk and 6 wk in giant eland. These results are consistent with previous studies that were able to accurately detect pregnancy in other members of the family Bovidae, but it is possible that PAGs present in okapi and dama gazelle are structurally dissimilar relative to the intended test target, and are therefore unrecognizable using this test. The faint positivity in the dama gazelle assays may be due to cross-reactivity with other proteins in the sample, or due to inconsistent binding with the dama gazelle PAG. This ELISA appears to be an accurate, rapid, and inexpensive method of point-of-care pregnancy diagnosis in gerenuk and giant eland, but not okapi and dama gazelle. Additional studies should be pursued to further characterize the limits of pregnancy detection using this assay in gerenuk and giant eland, and to investigate the validity of this test in other nondomestic ruminant species.

Qilian yak (Bos grunniens) is a local breed of yak with high adaptation to the high-elevation, cold, and anoxic environments. In this study, its complete mitochondrial genome was assembled from hig...

We examined the dorsal lingual surfaces of an adult eland (Taurotragus oryx) by scanning electron microscopy. Filiform, fungiform and vallate papillae were observed. The filiform papillae of the lingual apex consisted of a larger main papilla and smaller secondary papillae. The connective tissue core of the filiform papilla was U-shaped. The fungiform papillae were round in shape. The connective tissue core of the fungiform papilla was flower-bud shaped. The filiform papillae of the lingual body consisted of a main papilla and were big as compared to that of the lingual apex. The connective tissue core of the filiform papilla resembled that of the lingual apes. The lenticular papillae of large size were limited on the lingual prominence. The connective tissue core of the lenticular papilla consisted of numerous small spines. The vallate papillae were located on both sides of the posterolateral aspects. The vallate papillae were flattened-oval shaped and the papillae were surrounded by a semicircular trench. The connective tissue core of the vallate papilla was covered with numerous small spines. The lingual surface of the eland closely resembled that of the family Bovidae.

The goat is included within the class Mammals, order Ungulates, family Bovidae, genus Capra¸ species Capra hircus. There are numerous theories regarding the origin of the goat, being the most accepted Auschler theory, which includes three original types of domestic goat: Capra prisca, currently extinct, domesticated in the Caucasus region, Capra aegagrus, in Asia and Capra falconeri (Kashmir goat). (Bedotti, 2000)., Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias

This study explores the performance of modern, accurate machine learning algorithms on the classification of fossil teeth in the Family Bovidae. Isolated bovid teeth are typically the most common fossils found in southern Africa and they often constitute the basis for paleoenvironmental reconstructions. Taxonomic identification of fossil bovid teeth, however, is often imprecise and subjective. Using modern teeth with known taxons, machine learning algorithms can be trained to classify fossils. Previous work by Brophy et. al. 2014 uses elliptical Fourier analysis of the form (size and shape) of the outline of the occlusal surface of each tooth as features in a linear discriminant analysis framework. This manuscript expands on that previous work by exploring how different machine learning approaches classify the teeth and testing which technique is best for classification. Five different machine learning techniques including linear discriminant analysis, neural networks, nuclear penalized multinomial regression, random forests, and support vector machines were used to estimate these models. Support vector machines and random forests perform the best in terms of both log-loss and misclassification rate; both of these methods are improvements over linear discriminant analysis. With the identification and application of these superior methods, bovid teeth can be classified with higher accuracy.

Contagious caprine pleuropneumonia has been assessed according to the criteria of the Animal Health Law (AHL), in particular criteria of Article 7 on disease profile and impacts, Article 5 on the eligibility of contagious caprine pleuropneumonia to be listed, Article 9 for the categorisation of contagious caprine pleuropneumonia according to disease prevention and control rules as in Annex IV and Article 8 on the list of animal species related to contagious caprine pleuropneumonia. The assessment has been performed following a methodology composed of information collection and compilation, expert judgement on each criterion at individual and, if no consensus was reached before, also at collective level. The output is composed of the categorical answer, and for the questions where no consensus was reached, the different supporting views are reported. Details on the methodology used for this assessment are explained in a separate opinion. According to the assessment performed, contagious caprine pleuropneumonia can be considered eligible to be listed for Union intervention as laid down in Article 5(3) of the AHL. The disease would comply with the criteria as in Sections 4 and 5 of Annex IV of the AHL, for the application of the disease prevention and control rules referred to in points (d) and (e) of Article 9(1). The assessment here performed on compliance with the criteria as in Section 1 of Annex IV referred to in point (a) of Article 9(1) is inconclusive. The animal species to be listed for contagious caprine pleuropneumonia according to Article 8(3) criteria are goats and other species of the family Bovidae as susceptible.

The bony cranial structures of even-toed hoofed mammals are important for understanding ecology and behavior of ruminants. Horns, the cranial appendages of the family Bovidae, are covered in a layer of keratin that is often not preserved in the fossil record; however, this keratin sheath is intimately involved in the processes that influence horn shape evolution. To understand the relationship between these two components of horns, we quantified both core and sheath shape for four extant species using three-dimensional geometric morphometric analyses in separate, core- and sheath-specific morphospaces as well as a combined morphospace. We assessed correlations between the horn and sheath morphospaces using two-block partial least squares regression, a Mantel test of pairwise distances between species, and Procrustes ANOVA. We measured disparity in the combined morphospace as Procrustes distances between mean shapes of cores and sheaths within and between species and as Procrustes variance. We also tested whether core and sheath shapes could be discriminated by taxon with a canonical variate analysis. Results show that horn core and sheath morphospaces are strongly correlated. The differences in shape between a species' core and sheath were statistically significant, but not as great as those between the cores and sheaths of different species when close relatives were not considered, and core and sheath Procrustes variances are not significantly different within species. Cores and sheath shapes were highly identifiable and were assigned to the correct clade 93% of the time in the canonical variate analysis. Based on these tests, horn cores are distinguishable in geometric morphometric analyses, extending the possibility of using geometric morphometrics to study the ecology and evolution of bovid horns to the fossil record.

The Nilgiri tahr is found mainly in the Nilgiris, Anaimalai’s and then southwards at elevations of 4000-8000 feet (Prater, 1965). Nilgiri tahr (Hemitragus hylocrius) belongs to the family Bovidae. Uncontrolled hunting and conversion of habitat to plantations and human related pressure have resulted in the decline of the population (Schaller, 1977). This study was undertaken to determine the present population status, structure and distribution of the Nilgiri tahr in the Nilgiris. Each sector was enumerated on to successive days. Population pattern was studied by foot survey. A census was carried out with forest Department. In addition overall population of Nilgiri tahr within the park is decline due to biotic, abiotic and manmade activities. Grouping pattern of Nilgiri tahr primarily based on seasonal influence and individual fitness. It indicated that more Nilgiri tahr in north sector of the park but historically the south sector contains high density. The estimates suggest that predator accounts for almost all mortality experienced by Nilgiri tahr

Feeding management is a very important factor that makes sure fulfil quality and quantity for livestock nutrient sufficiency that affects the success rate in livestock farming. The excellent macro nutrient needs determination is an absolute thing to achieve the optimal growth which represented by digestibility and average daily gain. Feed formulation that considering the material selection, availability, and the price of feed materials could gave sustainable livestock feed management. The study was carried out to evaluate the effect of macronutrients needs on digestibility and average daily gain of sheep. Twenty Padjadjaran sheep ( Ovisaries var. Padjadjaran , Family Bovidae), which resulted from crossbreeding between South-African Capstaad, Merino, and local, were chosen as tested animals. These white sheep were placed separately in individual metabolism cages. All animals were 8-10 months of age and their body weights ranged between 15-33 kg. The animals were divided into 5 groups and each group was treated with different dietary feeds (4 times replication) that contained dry material, crude protein, crude fiber, crude fat, and nitrogen-free extract (NFE). The parameters measured were dry matter intake (DMI), dry matter digestibility (DMD), organic matter digestibility (OMD) and average daily gain (ADG). The treatments showed no significant effect on DMI, DMD, and OMD, whereas an increase of ADG (113.33 – 169.17 g/animal/day) was observed on all animals. One of R2-treated animal showed an increase of 276.67 g/day.

Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae has been reported in association with respiratory disease in the wild only in members of the subfamily Caprinae of the family Bovidae. We identified M. ovipneumoniae in a cervid: a free-ranging barren ground caribou (Rangifer tarandus granti) yearling with polymicrobial bronchopneumonia.

A non-human dental piece was found in a Roman Empire tomb dated the 3rd century A.C. in Zaragoza (Spain). The morphology of this piece showed mixed brachyodont (carnivores) and hypsodont (herbivores) characteristics. As a result, the taxonomical assignation of the piece was impossible. Therefore, a protocol based on the DNA sequence of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 mitochondrial region (COI) was applied. For this purpose, a pair of primers able to amplify this region in a large variety of animals was designed. The results point to a species of the Genus Bos (Family Bovidae). This assignation was later confirmed by these quencing of a short fragment of the mitochondrial D-loop region. A complete morphological description of the tooth is presented together with the DNA sequence study and comparison protocol.

The aim of this study was to describe the morphology, morphometry and determine the DNA content of yak sperm nuclei (Bos grunniens). Nuclear morphology observations were performed using light microscopy on slides stained with Feulgen reaction. Abnormalities percentages were determined: pyriform (1.2%), globose (0.2%), small (0.2%), elongated (0.1%). Morphometric measurements were made from digitized images of sperm nuclei stained with the Feulgen reaction. Mean values and standard deviations were obtained: area 21.98 ± 2.60 μm2, length 7.34 ± 0.33 μm, width 3.78 ± 0.27 μm, perimeter 88 ± 19.26 μm, roundness 1.27 ± 0.04, elongation 1.95 ± 0.11 and equivalent diameter 5.28 ± 0.27 μm. According to our knowledge this is the first time that haploid DNA content is determined. In this species 3.42 pg value that was similar to that measured in other species of the family Bovidae and other higher mammals.

Studies of the African members of the family Bovidae have demonstrated the feasibility of using linear discriminant analysis to predict paleoenvironment based on measurements from postcranial skeletal elements. The use of discriminant analysis depends upon adherence to certain assumptions about the data set. In certain cases, these assumptions are violated, thus reducing the confidence of the results. The research presented here introduces the use of the non-parametric recursive partitioning method as a test of the linear discriminant method for predicting habitat from a collection of modern Bovid astragali from Southeast Asia. This study also provides a critique of the previous African studies. The results indicate that a combination of the parametric and non-parametric methods provides the highest prediction accuracy for Southeast Asian Bovids, though the independent methods do test favorably; thus providing an additional tool for archaeologists and paleoanthropologists in this region.

Sex-specific sequence variability of the amelogenin gene had been observed in a variety of mammalian species. In our study, the suitability of the amelogenin gene for sex determination in different species of the family Bovidae was examined. Based on a sequence insertion/deletion characteristic for X- and Y-specific amelogenin (AMELX and AMELY), PCR amplification on male and female genomic DNA from domestic and wild bovine species, sheep and goat, consistently displayed a sex-specific pattern. Thus, the amelogenin amplification by PCR proved to be a reliable method for sex determination not only in domestic and wild species of the tribe Bovini, but also in the related species sheep and goat. Sex determination using the amelogenin-based assay can be performed with at least 40 pg of genomic DNA. The assay enables the investigation of small amounts of DNA from meat, hair, bones, and embryo biopsies to identify species and sex for a number of applications in animal production, forensics, population research, and monitoring within the family Bovidae. Sequence comparison of the amplified amelogenin gene region specific for male and female animals from domestic and wild bovide species revealed further sequence variations within and between sexes as well as between species. Sequence variations in the AMELX gene can be applied to discriminate Bos and Bison individuals from other bovine species, and also from sheep and goat. Mol. Reprod. Dev. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Pelage extracts of the banteng (Bos javanicus), the domestic cattle (B. taurus), the gaur (B. frontalis), and the yak (B. grunniens) were investigated by FABMS and NMR. An 18-carbon hydroxyfuranoid acid, 1 (10-hydroxy-6,9-oxidooctadecanoic acid), first reported from the wool of the domestic sheep (Ovis aries) was confirmed in B. frontalis; we suspend judgment on the occurrence of this compound in the other species we examined. The stereochemistry of 1, determined by Mosher NMR and CD tweezer methods, was assigned as 6S, 9R, 10R. We propose the name bovidic acid for this and homologous alpha-hydroxylated 2,5-tetrahydrofuranoid carboxylic acids, in reference to the family Bovidae, which represents their sole known natural source.

There have been many studies on the chemistry of mammalian pancreatic ribonucleases (ribonucleases 1), but the functional biology of this family of homologous proteins is still largely unknown. Many studies have been performed on the molecular evolution and properties of this enzyme from species belonging to a large number of mammalian taxa, including paralogous gene products resulting from recent gene duplications. Novel ribonuclease 1 sequences were determined for three rodent species (gundi, brush-tailed porcupine, and squirrel), rabbit, a fruit bat, elephant, and aardvark, and the new sequences were used for deriving most parsimonious networks of ribonucleases from different mammalian orders, including earlier determined nucleotide sequences and also a larger set of protein sequences. Weak support for interordinal relationships were obtained, except for an Afrotheria clade containing elephant and aardvark. Results of current analyses and also those obtained 20 years ago on amino acid sequences confirm conclusions derived recently from larger data sets of other molecules. Several examples of recent gene duplications in ribonucleases 1 are discussed, with respect to illustrate the concepts of orthology and paralogy. Previously evidence was presented for extensive parallelism between sequence regions with attached carbohydrate (about one quarter of the molecule) of unrelated species with cecal digestion (pig and guinea pig). These features are also present in the sequences of elephant and fruit bat, species with cecal digestion, but with a very low ribonuclease content in their pancreas. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.

The presence of morphologically complete mammalian erythrocytes (red blood cells, RBC) from bloodstains has been previously evidenced in prehistoric implements. While the presence of ancient non-human blood on a prehistoric tool is evidence of the real use of this on an animal resource, the presence of RBC in a smear is evidence of blood. In a simulation of a prehistoric predation human operative chain, mammalian bloodstains on palaeolithic-like chert implements were obtained from two specimens belonging to the order Artiodactyla: collared peccary (Tayassu tajacu, family Tayassuidae) and Dorcas gazelle (Gazella dorcas, family Bovidae). After one year, the unburied peccary blood smear and the buried gazelle smear were coated with gold and then examined by a scanning electron microscope. Results revealed the presence of preserved RBC with several shapes like those found in haematological studies, as well as curved plasma fractures and negative imprints, two bloodstain-characteristic morphologies whi...

The record of fossil mammals from the Shungura Formation, lower Omo Valley of southern Ethiopia, represents one of the largest and most carefully controlled samples for deciphering the responses of land faunas to global-scale climatic change. We use the abundant and continuous fossil record of the family Bovidae to analyze the effects of a late Pliocene climatic shift toward increased aridity in Africa beginning at 2.8 Ma and intensifying at about 2.4 Ma. A database consisting of 4233 specimen-based records collected under well-defined procedures is used to define patterns through time in bovid abundances while also controlling for taphonomic and other potential biases. Univariate and multidimensional (correspondence analysis) methods are used to study changes in bovid abundances through time. Our results indicate that bovids experienced an increase in species richness and a rapid episode of change in taxonomic abundances at 2.8 ± 0.1 Ma (between Members B and C), and that this shift was followed...

Horns of bovids are remarkably diverse. This diversity may reflect functional differences associated with the use of horns as intraspecific weapons. I use measurements from museum specimens and behavioral data from the literature to examine the relationship between morphology of horns of males and fighting behavior in 21 species of bovids, representing 11 of the 12 bovid tribes. A high correlation between morphology of horns and fighting behavior was found. In particular, a short horn reach and undeveloped catching arch is associated with stabbing behavior; a long horn reach, with wrestling and fencing behavior; a well-developed catching arch, with wrestling behavior; and robust, recurved horns, with ramming behavior. A phylogeny of bovid tribes suggests that these features of morphology of horns and fighting behavior are rapidly evolving and frequently convergent.

The known host range of naturally-occurring transmissible spongiform encephalopathies has expanded in recent years to include wild ruminants. Chronic wasting disease (CWD) occurs in mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus hemionus) and Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni) in Colorado and Wyoming, United States of America. These species belong to the family Cervidae. Cases have occurred primarily in captive animals but a few affected free-ranging animals have been identified. Clinical disease in both species is characterised by progressive weight loss, behavioural alterations and excessive salivation. In deer polydipsia and polyuria also commonly occur. Significant lesions are confined to the central nervous system and consist of spongiform change in grey matter, intraneuronal vacuolation, astrocytosis and amyloid plaques. Inflammatory reaction is absent. The origin of this disease is not known. In contrast to the cases of spongiform encephalopathy recognised in five species of antelope (family Bovidae) in British zoological parks, which are an extension of the current bovine spongiform encephalopathy epizootic, CWD is not the result of food-borne exposure to the infectious agent. CWD appears to be maintained within captive populations by lateral and, possibly, maternal transmission. Spongiform encephalopathies in wild ruminants are currently geographically isolated and involve relatively small numbers of animals. However, these potentially transmissible diseases could be of greater importance in the future and should be viewed with concern in the light of international movements of wild ruminants and the current expansion of the game farming and ranching industry in many parts of the world.

SUMMARYA similarity index to quantify comparisons between G-banded karyotypes is presented. The method comprises the following steps: a) standarization of the number and location of bands in each chromosome; b) matching of similar chromosomes and comparison of band sequences between them; c) counting of similar and different bands; d) use of the following index: 10/n called standarized band similarity index (Sbs). Where Σt is the total number of bands computed (different plus similar), Σd is the number of bands which are different and n is the highest haploid value recorded among all the karyotypes compared. The banded karyotypes of several species of the genus Rattus, the family Bovidae and several genera of cricetine rodents were used to test the Sbs index.

An investigation to understand the dynamics and biological significance of fragile site expression, and identification of 5-fluorodeoxyuridine (FUdR) induced chromosomal gaps/breaks, were carried out in an experimental flock of 45 Suffolk sheep. The statistical comparison revealed, highly significant variation in the frequency of chromosomal fragile site expression between control and FUdR cultures. Mean (+/- S.D.) values for cells with gaps and breaks, or aberrant cell count (AC), and the number of aberrations (NoA) per animal were 2.02 +/- 0.34, 2.42 +/- 0.48, 13.26 +/- 0.85 and 21.87 +/- 1.88 (P lessthan 0.01) in control and FUdR cultures, respectively. The comparison of age revealed nonsignificant variation between control and FUdR cultures. The G-band analysis of fragile site data revealed gaps in 29 autosomal and two X-chromosomal bands in the control cultures, whereas FUdR treated cultures scored 78 unstable bands in autosomes of which 56 were significantly fragile. X-chromosomes expressed breaks and gaps in six G-negative bands and five of them (Xq13, Xq15, Xq17, Xq24 and Xq26) were significantly fragile. The distribution comparison of autosomal fragile sites between sex groups did not reveal any significant variation. Female X-chromosomes were significantly more fragile than the male X-chromosomes. The distribution comparison for age groups (lambs versus adults) revealed significantly higher number of fragile bands in adults. Comparison of published data on reciprocal translocations in sheep with the fragile-site data obtained in this study indicated that the break sites of both phenomena were correlated. Similarities were also found between fragile sites and breakpoints of evolutionary significance in family Bovidae.

International audience; The yak (Bos grunniens) belongs to the cattle family Bovidae and lives in the mountains of China and adjacent areas. Due to the physiological adaptations of yak to its environment and the lack of data, the ivermectin pharmacokinetic was studied following a single subcutaneous dose at the recommended dose for cattle (0.2 mg kg(-1)). The observed peak plasma concentration (C-max) was 48.93 ng ml(-1) and the time to reach C-max (T-max) was 0.73 day. These results show a faster rate of absorption than in cattle. The values for the absorption half-life (t(1/2a)), the distribution half-life (t(1/2alpha)) and the terminal half-life (t(1/2beta)) were 0.31, 0.74 and 4.82 days, respectively. The calculated area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) was 146.2 ng day ml(-1) and the mean residence time (MRT) was 3.57 days. The availability of ivermectin appears low in yaks in comparison to cattle but equivalent to that reported in horses and is likely to be due to physiological characteristics of this species.

Applanation tonometry was used to estimate intraocular pressure (IOP) and Schirmer tear test (STT) I was used to estimate tear production in both eyes of 12 juvenile elands (Taurotragus oryx) and one eye each of 15 Asian fallow deer (Dama mesopotamica). Mean (+/- standard deviation) IOP was 14.6 +/- 4.0 mm Hg in the eland and 11.9 +/- 3.3 mm Hg in the deer. Mean tear production was 18.7 +/- 5.9 mm/min in the eland and 10.5 +/- 6.5 mm/min in the deer. The large variation in IOP between two members of the family Bovidae, the elands reported here and the Thomson gazelle (Gazella thomsoni) for which we previously reported a mean pressure of 7.6 mm Hg, illustrates the need to establish reference values for each species. Tear production may be influenced by the species' natural habitat.

There is little published information regarding the platelets of impala ( Aepyceros melampus ). In this study we determined the platelet counts of 12 healthy adult male impalas and describe the morphology of the platelets. The platelet counts of the animals are high. Although the platelets appear to be extremely small, they have the characteristic ultrastructure of the platelets of the family Bovidae . They have few but prominent α-granules. Other cytoplasmic inclusions are the dense bodies, microtubules, mitochondria, and glycogen. There is no surface-connecting canalicular system present.

Background The goat (Capra hircus) represents one of the most important farm animal species. It is reared in all continents with an estimated world population of about 800 million of animals. Despite its importance, studies on the goat genome are still in their infancy compared to those in other farm animal species. Comparative mapping between cattle and goat showed only a few rearrangements in agreement with the similarity of chromosome banding. We carried out a cross species cattle-goat array comparative genome hybridization (aCGH) experiment in order to identify copy number variations (CNVs) in the goat genome analysing animals of different breeds (Saanen, Camosciata delle Alpi, Girgentana, and Murciano-Granadina) using a tiling oligonucleotide array with ~385,000 probes designed on the bovine genome. Results We identified a total of 161 CNVs (an average of 17.9 CNVs per goat), with the largest number in the Saanen breed and the lowest in the Camosciata delle Alpi goat. By aggregating overlapping CNVs identified in different animals we determined CNV regions (CNVRs): on the whole, we identified 127 CNVRs covering about 11.47 Mb of the virtual goat genome referred to the bovine genome (0.435% of the latter genome). These 127 CNVRs included 86 loss and 41 gain and ranged from about 24 kb to about 1.07 Mb with a mean and median equal to 90,292 bp and 49,530 bp, respectively. To evaluate whether the identified goat CNVRs overlap with those reported in the cattle genome, we compared our results with those obtained in four independent cattle experiments. Overlapping between goat and cattle CNVRs was highly significant (P < 0.0001) suggesting that several chromosome regions might contain recurrent interspecies CNVRs. Genes with environmental functions were over-represented in goat CNVRs as reported in other mammals. Conclusions We describe a first map of goat CNVRs. This provides information on a comparative basis with the cattle genome by identifying putative recurrent interspecies CNVs between these two ruminant species. Several goat CNVs affect genes with important biological functions. Further studies are needed to evaluate the functional relevance of these CNVs and their effects on behavior, production, and disease resistance traits in goats.

Between November, 1986, and August, 1991, 35,100 clinical cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) were confirmed histopathologically by the staff of the Central Veterinary Laboratory (CVL) Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in Weybridge, England. It is not known how many cases of BSE went unreported during this time period, but informal estimates range from several hundred to several thousand. These losses occurred within the prime production population of the United Kingdom's dairy and beef herds which number approximately four million adult animals (twelve million total cattle) in a geographic area approximately the size of Oregon. During the same period, novel spongiform encephalopathies were confirmed in nine zoo animals of various species, but all from the family bovidae. Also, spongiform encephalopathy was confirmed in nineteen domestic cats during the last sixteen months, and BSE was identified in native-born dairy cattle in Switzerland (7 cases confirmed) and France (4 cases confirmed) during the past ten months. The advent of a novel, progressive, and transmissible spongiform encephalopathy in cattle and its rise to epidemic levels in the United Kingdom has caused substantial economic hardship for the dairy, beef, and rendering industries of that country. In addition, it has led to increased public concern about the quality of agricultural products in general and the effectiveness of the government agencies that regulate the production and consumption of those products. These concerns have been transmitted internationally such that a recurring question in Europe and the Americas is "Can BSE happen here?". A simple answer to this question is not available, but awareness on the part of U.S. bovine practitioners of the disease characteristics and the factors that contributed to the problem in the U.K. will help prevent a BSE-like epidemic from occurring in the United States., American Association of Bovine Practitioners Proceedings of the Annual Conference, 1991

Many dimensions of the postcranial skeleton of ruminant artiodactyls scale closely with body weight and are therefore potentially useful as predictors of body weight in fossil species. Using 45 dimensions of the skeleton a series of predictive equations was generated based on the scaling relationships of the family Bovidae. As a test of their usefulness these equations were used to predict body weights of a number of living ruminant artiodactyls, and six genera of fossil artiodactyls. For most species body weight estimates within 25° of actual weight were given by the mean of the predicted weights from all measurements except lengths of long bones. While femur length was a reasonable predictor of body weight, lengths of distal long bones were unreliable and should not be used as indicators of relative or absolute body weights. Some non-length measurements are biased in certain taxonomic groups; the possibility of erroneous estimates from such measurements can be reduced by using as many estimators of body weight as are available. No species of artiodactyl tested is so highly modified in all dimensions that all results were erroneous. Subsets of measurements which might be available from a typical fossil fragment also gave reliable results.

The hypothesis that there is a characteristic rate of exponential radiation for the Insecta is tested for forty-nine of the most diverse family-level taxa in the Coleoptera, Diptera, and Hymenoptera. Data used are estimates of Recent species diversity and age of first appearance in the fossil record, as in the original statement of the hypothesis by Stanley (1979). There is no evidence of a characteristic radiation rate for the insects. A more exact method is proposed for identifying clades that are radiating exponentially. When applied to Stanley's data for the mammalian family Bovidae, it indicates that the Bovidae are not radiating exponentially at a characteristic rate. Future research might emphasize the reliable identification of clades that are radiating exponentially, prior to drawing conclusions about rates that might characterize higher taxa.

Measurements have been made of the principal leg bones of 37 species representing almost the full range of sizes of terrestrial mammals. The lengths of corresponding bones tend to be proportional to (body mass)0·35 and the diameters to (body mass)0·36, except in the family Bovidae in which the exponents for length are much nearer the value of 0·25 predicted by McMahon's (1973) theory of elastic similarity. Comparisons are made between mammals of similar size belonging to different orders.

Cytogenetic studies of somatic cells in the chamois, belonging to the tribe Rupicaprini of the family Bovidae, revealed a karyotype with 58 acrocentric chromosomes and with one pair of large metacentrics. The fundamental number of 60 and the presence of Robertsonian changes as a dominating mechanism of karyotype variation seem to be characteristic for the tribe Rupicaprini, as they are for some related tribes of the Bovidae, mainly the Caprini.

Precipitin tests were carried out on blood meals of 269 female Culicoides pallidipennis (Carter, Ingram & Macfie) trapped over a period of 12 months in the sheep pens of the Veterinary Institute at Bet Dagan, Israel. The results were as follows: 44.2% of the meals were not identified, 23% were from cattle, 17.8% from sheep or goat, 14.1% from the family Bovidae which could not be identified further and 0.7% from other mammalian hosts. The monthly average “forage ratio” for cattle during the trapping period was 1.3, whereas for sheep it was 0.2. The implications of these findings in relation to the epidemiology of bluetongue are discussed.

A survey of the chromosome status of all members of the family Bovidae (60 species) studied to date is described. A special mention is made of chromosome studies in bovids in the Kruger National Park. A tentative course of chromosomal status is outlined.

The Japanese serow, now protected by law as an endangered species, is thought to be a primitive relic species on the islands of Japan. Serows, genus Capricornis, chamois, genus Rupicapra, gorals, genus Naemorhedus, and Rocky Mountain goats, genus Oreamnos, all are members of the mammalian tribe Rupicaprini within the family Bovidae.

Among the present day mammals, ruminants and true carnivores represent two groups with widely divergent dietary habits and digestive systems. Both groups are presumed to have arisen from common ancestors -primitive insectivores which appeared during the Cretaceous period (Romer, 1966; Geist, 1972; Colbert, 1980). During the course of evolution, the metabolism of these mammals appears to have been adapted to accommodate the end products absorbed from their respective digestive systems. The purpose of this paper is to briefly review and contrast some of these metabolic adaptations and relate them to the nutrition of these two groups of mammals. Because of their economic importance, ruminants belonging to the family Bovidae (which includes cattle, sheep and goats) have been most extensively studied and will be used as type examples. However, living members of the sub-order Ruminantia comprise about 150 species with considerable diversity of feeding habits (Van Soest, 1982) and these examples may not truly represent all species.

The term “ungulates,” as used in this book, includes the orders Proboscidea (elephants), Perissodactyla (odd-toed ungulates) and Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates). I have already alluded to the great variety of ungulates occurring in Africa; this has caused considerable problems for taxonomists, and the nomenclature of African ungulates is by no means settled, particularly in the family Bovidae (horned ungulates). For practical purposes, I have followed the most recent taxonomic treatment by Ansell (1971) and Gentry (1971), without necessarily agreeing on every detail. The Appendix lists the species mentioned in the text, with scientific names, in systematic order. Scientific equivalents of common names used in the text can be found in the Index. General information on distribution and biology of African ungulates is available in a number of handbooks and field guides, particularly Dorst and Dandelot (1970; see also Bigalke, 1968).

Silver NOR staining has been applied to cattle (Bos taurus L.), goat (Capra hircus L.) and sheep (Ovis aries L.) chromosomes. The sites of silver NORs showed variation within the family Bovidae probably due to a reciprocal translocation event.

1. 1. Artiodactyla haptoglobins (Hps), goat, sheep and cattle (family Bovidae), and pig (family Suidae) were structurally characterized. 2. 2. The polymeric Hp systems of goat, sheep and cattle were similar to the polymeric human Hp system, while the monomeric system of pig was more comparable to the monomeric human form. 3. 3. All members of the Artiodactyla (family Bovidae) examined exhibited a large polypeptide subunit, comparable to that of the β subunit of human Hp. 4. 4. In addition, a small subunit, similar in molecular weight to the human α2 subunit, was demonstrated. Pig Hp was shown to have two subunits, one slightly larger than the human β subunit and the other intermediate in size to the human α1 and α2 subunits. 5. 5. Immunoelectrophoretic and immunodiffusion studies indicated complete cross reactivity among the polymeric Artiodactyla Hps. 6. 6. The polymeric Hps do not, however, cross react with the monomeric pig Hp.

A LETTER, which I have just received from our Corresponding Member, the energetic traveller and naturalist, Prof. J. B. Steere, of Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.A., announces that he has made a remarkable zoological discovery in the Philippine Islands. In the interior of the little-known Island of Mindoro he has procured specimens of a strange animal, which, although much talked of in the Philippines, is little, if at all, known elsewhere. This is the Tamaron of the natives, a wild species of the family Bovidae, allied to the Anoa of Celebes, which Prof. Steere proposes to call Anoa mindorensis. Its general colour is black, the hairs being short and rather fine. A greyish white stripe runs from near the inner corner of the eye towards the base of the horn. There is also a greyish white spot above the hoof on all the feet, and a greyish white patch on the inside of the lower fore-leg. The height of the male at the shoulder is about 3 feet 6 inches, the length from the nose to the base of the tail about 6 feet 8 inches. The horns are about 14 inches long. Prof. Steere obtained two males and one female of this animal, of which his full description will be read at the first meeting of the next session of the Zoological Society. The discovery is of much interest, as giving an additional instance of the similarity between the faunas of Celebes and the Philippines, which was already evident from other well-known cases of parallelism between the natural products of these two countries.

THE karyotypes of fifty species of ruminants in the family Bovidae have been examined and the fundamental number of sixty chromosome arms has been established for thirty-two of them. Reporting this, Taylor, Hungerford and Snyder1 pointed out that the distribution of the numbers of metacentric chromosomes among forty-nine species of Bovidae supports the view that Robertsonian2 translocation has been a common feature of the evolution of the bovid karyotype. There are more Bovidae with few or no metacentrics than there are with many, or a complete complement of them.

In polyandrous species, males face reproductive competition both before and after mating. Sexual selection thus shapes the evolution of both pre- and postcopulatory traits, creating competing demands on resource allocation to different reproductive episodes. Traits subject to strong selection exhibit accelerated rates of phenotypic divergence, and examining evolutionary rates may inform us about the relative importance and potential fitness consequences of investing in traits under either pre- or postcopulatory sexual selection. Here, we used a comparative approach to assess evolutionary rates of key competitive traits in two artiodactyl families, bovids (family Bovidae) and cervids (family Cervidae), where male–male competition can occur before and after mating. We quantified and compared evolutionary rates of male weaponry (horns and antlers), body size/mass, testes mass, and sperm morphometrics. We found that weapons evolve faster than sperm dimensions. In contrast, testes and body mass evolve at similar rates. These results suggest strong, but differential, selection on both pre- and postcopulatory traits in bovids and cervids. Furthermore, we documented distinct evolutionary rates among different sperm components, with sperm head and midpiece evolving faster than the flagellum. Finally, we demonstrate that, despite considerable differences in weapon development between bovids and cervids, the overall evolutionary patterns between these families were broadly consistent.

Opinions concerning the relationships of the musk ox to other members of the family Bovidae are varied and contradictory. Flower and Lydekker (1891) stated that “this genus is generally considered to be a connecting link between the Caprine and Bovine sections, but should rather be regarded as an aberrant type of the former.” Yet the idea, suggested indeed by the very name Ovibos , that the genus forms a link betwen sheep and cattle has never completely disappeared ( cf . Glover, 1953). The genus received monographic treatment by Allen (1913) who, largely on the basis of the morphology of the Recent forms, concluded that “ Ovibos finds its nearest ally among living mammals in the genus Bison .” This view has been largely followed by mammalogists ( cf . Anthony, 1928; Seton, 1929). On the other hand, paleontologists have concluded that Ovibos is most closely allied to goats. Thus Simpson (1945) placed Ovibos in the subfamily Caprinae; Miller and Kellogg (1955) followed his usage in doing so. Seemingly paleontologists have been influenced to this view by study of related Old World genera, especially Urmiatherium, Parurmiatherium, Criotherium and Plesiaddax , which combine to bridge the gap between ovibovine and caprine characteristics (Pocock, 1918; Sickenberg, 1933; Bohlin, 1935; Schwarz, 1937; Pilgrim, 1939). That the controversy is still current is attested by Tome XVII of Grasse, Traite de Zoologie. One contributor to this volume on mammals places the musk ox in the subfamily Bovinae (Frechkop, 1955) while a few pages later another contributor classifies it in the subfamily Caprinae (Lavocat, 1955). This diversity of practice in one volume lends point to the comment by Pilgrim (1939): “ Ovibos has been bandied about like a shuttlecock between the two groups of the oxen and the sheep.” When morphology …