Goat antelope
Encyclopedia
A goat-antelope or caprid is any of the species
of mostly medium-sized bovid
s that make up the subfamily Caprinae (as treated here), part of the Bovidae family
of ruminant
s. The domestic sheep and domestic goat
are both part of the goat-antelope group by its widest definition, but some taxonomists prefer to use the term only for members of the Caprinae that are not members of the tribe Caprini. The term "goat-antelope" does not mean that these animals are true antelopes: a true antelope
is a bovid with a cervid-like or antilocaprid-like morphology.
(Ovibos moschatus) is adapted to the extreme cold of the tundra
; the Rocky Mountain goat (Oreamnos americanus) of North America
is specialised for very rugged terrain; the Urial
(Ovis orientalis) occupies a largely infertile area from Kashmir
to Iran
, including much desert country. The European mouflon (Ovis musimon) is thought to be the ancestor of the modern domestic sheep
(Ovis aries).
Many species became extinct since the last ice age
, probably largely because of human interaction. Of the survivors:
Members of the group vary considerably in size, from just over 1 metres (3.3 ft) long for a full-grown grey goral
(Nemorhaedus goral), to almost 2.5 metres (8.2 ft) long for a musk ox, and from under 30 kilograms (66.1 lb) to more than 350 kilograms (771.6 lb). Musk oxen in captivity have reached over 650 kilograms (1,433 lb).
The lifestyles of caprids fall into two broad classes, resource-defenders which are territorial and defend a small, food-rich area against other members of the same species; and grazers, which gather together into herds and roam freely over a larger, usually relatively infertile area.
The resource-defenders are the more primitive group: they tend to be smaller in size, dark in colour, males and females fairly alike, have long, tassellated ears, a long mane, and dagger-shaped horns. The grazers (sometimes collectively known as tsoan caprids, from the Semitic tso'wn meaning "to migrate") evolved more recently. They tend to be larger, highly social, and rather than mark territory with scent glands, they have highly evolved dominance behaviours. There is no sharp dividing line between the groups, but a continuum between the serows at one end of the spectrum and sheep, true goats, and musk oxen at the other.
, when members of the group resembled the modern serow
in their general body form. The group did not reach its greatest diversity until the recent ice age
s, when many of its members became specialised for marginal, often extreme, environments: mountains, deserts, and the Subarctic
region.
The ancestors of the modern sheep and goats (both rather vague and ill-defined terms) are thought to have moved into mountainous regions – sheep becoming specialised occupants of the foothills and nearby plains, and relying on flight and flocking
for defence against predators, and goats adapting to very steep terrain where predators are at a disadvantage.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of mostly medium-sized bovid
Bovid
A bovid is any of almost 140 species of cloven-hoofed ruminant mammal at least the males of which bear characteristic unbranching horns covered in a permanent sheath of keratin....
s that make up the subfamily Caprinae (as treated here), part of the Bovidae family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
of ruminant
Ruminant
A ruminant is a mammal of the order Artiodactyla that digests plant-based food by initially softening it within the animal's first compartment of the stomach, principally through bacterial actions, then regurgitating the semi-digested mass, now known as cud, and chewing it again...
s. The domestic sheep and domestic goat
Goat
The domestic goat is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the Bovidae family and is closely related to the sheep as both are in the goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae. There are over three hundred distinct breeds of...
are both part of the goat-antelope group by its widest definition, but some taxonomists prefer to use the term only for members of the Caprinae that are not members of the tribe Caprini. The term "goat-antelope" does not mean that these animals are true antelopes: a true antelope
Antelope
Antelope is a term referring to many even-toed ungulate species indigenous to various regions in Africa and Eurasia. Antelopes comprise a miscellaneous group within the family Bovidae, encompassing those old-world species that are neither cattle, sheep, buffalo, bison, nor goats...
is a bovid with a cervid-like or antilocaprid-like morphology.
Characteristics
Although most goat-antelopes are gregarious and have a fairly stocky build, they diverge in many other ways – the Musk OxMusk Ox
The muskox is an Arctic mammal of the family Bovidae, noted for its thick coat and for the strong odor emitted by males, from which its name derives. This musky odor is used to attract females during mating season...
(Ovibos moschatus) is adapted to the extreme cold of the tundra
Tundra
In physical geography, tundra is a biome where the tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons. The term tundra comes through Russian тундра from the Kildin Sami word tūndâr "uplands," "treeless mountain tract." There are three types of tundra: Arctic tundra, alpine...
; the Rocky Mountain goat (Oreamnos americanus) of North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
is specialised for very rugged terrain; the Urial
Urial
The Urial , also known as the Arkars or Shapo, is a subspecies group of the wild sheep Ovis orientalis. Noticeable features are the reddish-brown long fur that fades during winter; males are characterized by a black ruff stretching from the neck to the chest and large horns. It is found in western...
(Ovis orientalis) occupies a largely infertile area from Kashmir
Kashmir
Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range...
to Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, including much desert country. The European mouflon (Ovis musimon) is thought to be the ancestor of the modern domestic sheep
Domestic sheep
Sheep are quadrupedal, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Like all ruminants, sheep are members of the order Artiodactyla, the even-toed ungulates. Although the name "sheep" applies to many species in the genus Ovis, in everyday usage it almost always refers to Ovis aries...
(Ovis aries).
Many species became extinct since the last ice age
Ice age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
, probably largely because of human interaction. Of the survivors:
- Five are classified as endangered,
- Eight as vulnerable,
- Seven as of concern and needing conservation measures, but at lower risk, and
- Seven species are secure.
Members of the group vary considerably in size, from just over 1 metres (3.3 ft) long for a full-grown grey goral
Nemorhaedus
The gorals are four species in the genus Nemorhaedus or Naemorhedus. They are small ungulates with a goat-like or antelope-like appearance....
(Nemorhaedus goral), to almost 2.5 metres (8.2 ft) long for a musk ox, and from under 30 kilograms (66.1 lb) to more than 350 kilograms (771.6 lb). Musk oxen in captivity have reached over 650 kilograms (1,433 lb).
The lifestyles of caprids fall into two broad classes, resource-defenders which are territorial and defend a small, food-rich area against other members of the same species; and grazers, which gather together into herds and roam freely over a larger, usually relatively infertile area.
The resource-defenders are the more primitive group: they tend to be smaller in size, dark in colour, males and females fairly alike, have long, tassellated ears, a long mane, and dagger-shaped horns. The grazers (sometimes collectively known as tsoan caprids, from the Semitic tso'wn meaning "to migrate") evolved more recently. They tend to be larger, highly social, and rather than mark territory with scent glands, they have highly evolved dominance behaviours. There is no sharp dividing line between the groups, but a continuum between the serows at one end of the spectrum and sheep, true goats, and musk oxen at the other.
Evolution
The goat-antelope or caprid group is known from as early as the MioceneMiocene
The Miocene is a geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about . The Miocene was named by Sir Charles Lyell. Its name comes from the Greek words and and means "less recent" because it has 18% fewer modern sea invertebrates than the Pliocene. The Miocene follows the Oligocene...
, when members of the group resembled the modern serow
Serow
Serow may refer to:*Three species of Asian ungulate in the genus Capricornis**Japanese Serow**Mainland Serow**Taiwan Serow* Serow, Iran, a city in Urmia County, West Azarbaijan Province, Iran*Alternative spelling of Serov...
in their general body form. The group did not reach its greatest diversity until the recent ice age
Ice age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
s, when many of its members became specialised for marginal, often extreme, environments: mountains, deserts, and the Subarctic
Subarctic
The Subarctic is a region in the Northern Hemisphere immediately south of the true Arctic and covering much of Alaska, Canada, the north of Scandinavia, Siberia, and northern Mongolia...
region.
The ancestors of the modern sheep and goats (both rather vague and ill-defined terms) are thought to have moved into mountainous regions – sheep becoming specialised occupants of the foothills and nearby plains, and relying on flight and flocking
Flocking (behavior)
Flocking behavior is the behavior exhibited when a group of birds, called a flock, are foraging or in flight. There are parallels with the shoaling behavior of fish, the swarming behavior of insects, and herd behavior of land animals....
for defence against predators, and goats adapting to very steep terrain where predators are at a disadvantage.
Extant species
FAMILY BOVIDAE- Subfamily Caprinae
- TribeTribe (biology)In biology, a tribe is a taxonomic rank between family and genus. It is sometimes subdivided into subtribes.Some examples include the tribes: Canini, Acalypheae, Hominini, Bombini, and Antidesmeae.-See also:* Biological classification* Rank...
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- Genus Budorcas
- TakinTakinThe Takin , also called cattle chamois or gnu goat, is a goat-antelope found in the Eastern Himalayas. There are four subspecies: B. taxicolor taxicolor, the Mishmi Takin; B. taxicolor bedfordi, the Shanxi or Golden Takin; B. taxicolor tibetana, the Tibetan or Sichuan Takin; and B. taxicolor...
, Budorcas taxicolor
- Takin
- Genus Ovibos
- Musk oxMusk OxThe muskox is an Arctic mammal of the family Bovidae, noted for its thick coat and for the strong odor emitted by males, from which its name derives. This musky odor is used to attract females during mating season...
, Ovibos moschatus
- Musk ox
- Genus Budorcas
- TribeTribe (biology)In biology, a tribe is a taxonomic rank between family and genus. It is sometimes subdivided into subtribes.Some examples include the tribes: Canini, Acalypheae, Hominini, Bombini, and Antidesmeae.-See also:* Biological classification* Rank...
Caprini- Genus Ammotragus
- Barbary sheepBarbary sheepThe Barbary Sheep is a species of caprid native to rocky mountains in North Africa. Six subspecies have been described. Although it is rare in its native North Africa, it has been introduced to North America, southern Europe and elsewhere...
, Ammotragus lervia
- Barbary sheep
- Genus Arabitragus
- Arabian tahrArabian TahrThe Arabian tahr is a species of tahr native to Arabia. Until recently, it was placed in the genus Hemitragus, but genetic evidence supports its removal to separate monotypic genus....
, Arabitragus jayakari
- Arabian tahr
- Genus CapraCapra (genus)Capra is a genus of mammals, the goats or wild goats, composed of up to nine species including the wild goat, the markhor and several species known as ibex....
- Wild goatWild GoatThe wild goat is a widespread species of goat, with a distribution ranging from Europe and Asia Minor to central Asia and the Middle East. It is the ancestor of the domestic goat.-Social structure:...
, Capra aegagrus- Domestic goat, Capra aegagrus hircus
- West Caucasian turWest Caucasian TurThe West Caucasian tur is a mountain dwelling goat antelope found only in the western half of the Caucasus Mountain range....
, Capra caucasia - East Caucasian turEast Caucasian TurThe East Caucasian tur is a mountain dwelling goat antelope found only in the eastern half of the Caucasus Mountains....
, Capra cylindricornis - MarkhorMarkhorThe Markhor is a large species of wild goat that is found in northeastern Afghanistan, Pakistan , India, southern Tajikistan and southern Uzbekistan...
, Capra falconeri - Alpine ibexAlpine IbexThe Alpine ibex, , is a species of wild goat that lives in the mountains of the European Alps. In its habitat region, the species is known as bouquetin , steinbock , and stambecco ....
, Capra ibex - Nubian ibexNubian IbexThe Nubian ibex is a desert-dwelling goat species found in mountainous areas of Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Egypt, Ethiopia, Yemen, Sudan, and Pakistan. It is generally considered to be a subspecies of Alpine ibex, but is sometimes considered specifically distinct...
, Capra nubiana - Spanish ibexSpanish ibexThe Iberian ibex, Spanish ibex, Spanish wild goat, or Iberian wild goat is a species of ibex with four subspecies. Of these, two can still be found on the Iberian Peninsula, but the remaining two are now extinct. The Portuguese subspecies became extinct in 1892 and the Pyrenean subspecies became...
, Capra pyrenaica - Siberian ibexSiberian IbexThe Siberian Ibex or Common ibex is a species of ibex that lives in central and northern Asia. It has traditionally been treated as a subspecies of the Alpine Ibex, and whether it is specifically distinct from other ibex is still not entirely clear...
, Capra sibirica - Walia ibexWalia IbexThe walia ibex is a species of ibex that is endangered. It is sometimes considered a subspecies of the Alpine Ibex...
, Capra walie
- Wild goat
- Genus Hemitragus
- Himalayan tahrHimalayan TahrThe Himalayan Tahr or Common Thar is a large ungulate related to the wild goat.-Habitat:...
, Hemitragus jemlahicus
- Himalayan tahr
- Genus OvisOvisOvis is a genus of mammals, part of the goat-antelope subfamily of the ruminant family Bovidae. Its five or more highly gregarious species are known as sheep...
- ArgaliArgaliThe argali, or the mountain sheep is a wild sheep, which roams the highlands of Central Asia . It is the biggest wild sheep, standing at the shoulder, measuring long and weighing , with a maximum known weight of...
, Ovis ammon - Domestic sheepDomestic sheepSheep are quadrupedal, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Like all ruminants, sheep are members of the order Artiodactyla, the even-toed ungulates. Although the name "sheep" applies to many species in the genus Ovis, in everyday usage it almost always refers to Ovis aries...
, Ovis aries - American bighorn sheep, Ovis canadensis
- Dall or thinhorn sheepDall SheepThe Dall sheep , Ovis dalli, is a species of sheep native to northwestern North America, ranging from white to slate brown in color and having curved yellowish brown horns...
, Ovis dalli - European mouflon, Ovis musimon
- Snow sheepSnow sheepThe snow sheep , or Siberian bighorn sheep, is a species of sheep, which comes from the mountainous areas in the northeast of Siberia. One subspecies, the Putorana Snow Sheep lives isolated from the other forms in the Putoran mountains...
, Ovis nivicola - UrialUrialThe Urial , also known as the Arkars or Shapo, is a subspecies group of the wild sheep Ovis orientalis. Noticeable features are the reddish-brown long fur that fades during winter; males are characterized by a black ruff stretching from the neck to the chest and large horns. It is found in western...
, Ovis orientalis
- Argali
- Genus Nilgiritragus
- Nilgiri tahrNilgiri TahrThe Nilgiri Tahr, Nilgiritragus hylocrius, known locally as the Nilgiri Ibex or simply Ibex, is an ungulate that is endemic to the Nilgiri Hills and the southern portion of the Western Ghats in the states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala in southern India. It is the state animal of Tamil Nadu...
, Nilgiritragus hylocrius
- Nilgiri tahr
- Genus PseudoisPseudoisPseudois is a genus in the subfamily Caprinae comprising two species, the Bharal and the Dwarf Blue Sheep . Both species in the genus are variously known as blue sheep, the Bharal's alternate name being the Himalayan blue sheep....
- BharalBharalThe bharal or Himalayan blue sheep or naur, Pseudois nayaur, is a caprid found in the high Himalayas of Nepal, Tibet, China, India, Pakistan, and Bhutan...
(Himalayan blue sheep), Pseudois nayaur - Dwarf blue sheepDwarf Blue SheepThe dwarf blue sheep or dwarf bharal Pseudois schaeferi is an endangered species of caprid found in China Proper and Tibet. It inhabits low, arid, grassy slopes of the upper Yangtze gorge in Batang County of the Sichuan Province, and a small part of the Tibet Autonomous Region, where it is known by...
, Pseudois schaeferi
- Bharal
- Genus Ammotragus
- TribeTribe (biology)In biology, a tribe is a taxonomic rank between family and genus. It is sometimes subdivided into subtribes.Some examples include the tribes: Canini, Acalypheae, Hominini, Bombini, and Antidesmeae.-See also:* Biological classification* Rank...
Naemorhedini
- Genus Capricornis
- Japanese serowJapanese SerowThe Japanese serow , known in Japanese as the , is a goat-antelope found in dense woodland on Honshū, Japan....
, Capricornis crispus - Sumatran serowSumatran SerowThe Sumatran Serow , also known as the Southern Serow, is a species of goat-antelope native to mountain forests in the Thai-Malay Peninsula and on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The former name of this species is "mainland serow", as all the mainland species of serow used to be considered...
, Capricornis sumatraensis - Taiwan serowTaiwan SerowThe Taiwan Serow also known as the Formosan Serow, is a small bovid endemic to the main island of Taiwan.- Physical Characteristics :...
, Capricornis swinhoei - Chinese serow, Capricornis milneedwardsii
- Red serowRed SerowThe Red Serow is an endangered goat-antelope, thought to be native to northern Burma. It has been considered a subspecies of C. sumatraensis. In the northeastern part of India, the red serow occurs widely in the hills south of the Brahmaputra river....
, Capricornis rubidus - Himalayan serowHimalayan SerowThe Himalayan Serow is a vulnerable goat-antelope, native to eastern and southeastern Bangladesh, the Himalayas , northeastern India, and probably western Burma. It has been considered a subspecies of C. sumatraensis....
Capricornis thar
- Japanese serow
- Genus NemorhaedusNemorhaedusThe gorals are four species in the genus Nemorhaedus or Naemorhedus. They are small ungulates with a goat-like or antelope-like appearance....
- Red goralRed GoralThe Red Goral is a species of even-toed ungulate in the Bovidae family. It is found in China, India, and Myanmar. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland. It is threatened by habitat loss.The red goral is a bright foxy-red...
, Nemorhaedus baileyi - Chinese goralChinese GoralThe Chinese Goral is a species of goral distributed through Burma, China, India, Thailand, Vietnam, and possibly Laos.- References :* on Mammal Species of the World...
, Nemorhaedus griseus - Grey goral, Nemorhaedus goral
- Long-tailed goralLong-tailed GoralThe long-tailed goral is a species of wild goat found in the mountains of eastern and northern Asia, including Russia, China, and Korea. A population of this species exists in the Korean Demilitarized Zone, near the tracks of the Donghae Bukbu Line. The species is classified as endangered in South...
, Naemorhedus caudatus
- Red goral
- Genus OreamnosOreamnosOreamnos is a genus of North American caprines. The Mountain goat is the only living species. Until the end of the Pleistocene another species, Oreamnos harringtoni, was distributed to the south of the recent form....
- Mountain goatMountain goatThe Mountain Goat , also known as the Rocky Mountain Goat, is a large-hoofed mammal found only in North America. Despite its vernacular name, it is not a member of Capra, the genus of true goats...
, Oreamnos americanus
- Mountain goat
- Genus RupicapraRupicapraRupicapra is a genus of the family Bovidae , which contains two species:*Chamois *Pyrenean Chamois .-External links and references:...
- Pyrenean chamoisPyrenean ChamoisThe Pyrenean Chamois , Rupicapra pyrenaica, is a goat antelope that lives in the Pyrenees, Cantabrian Mountains and Apennine Mountains...
, Rupicapra pyrenaica - ChamoisChamoisThe chamois, Rupicapra rupicapra, is a goat-antelope species native to mountains in Europe, including the Carpathian Mountains of Romania, the European Alps, the Tatra Mountains, the Balkans, parts of Turkey, and the Caucasus. The chamois has also been introduced to the South Island of New Zealand...
, Rupicapra rupicapra
- Pyrenean chamois
- Genus Capricornis
- Tribe
Fossil genera
The following extinct genera of Caprinae have been identified:- †Benicerus
- †Boopsis
- †Bootherium
- †Capraoryx
- †Caprotragoides
- †Criotherium
- †Damalavus
- †Euceratherium
- †Gallogoral
- †Myotragus
- †OiocerosOiocerosOioceros is an extinct genus of sheep from the late Miocene. Its fossils have been found in Greece, China,, Iran, and Africa. It was first discovered by Wagner in 1857, and contains nine species, O. rothii, O. atropatenes, O. jiulongkouensis, O. noverca, O. robustus, O. stenocephalus, O....
- †Lyrocerus
- †MakapaniaMakapaniaMakapania is an extinct genus of caprid from the Pliocene and Pleistocene.- Sources :*The Book of Life: An Illustrated History of the Evolution of Life on Earth, Second Edition by Stephen Jay Gould...
- †Megalovis
- †Mesembriacerus
- †Neotragocerus
- †Nesogoral
- †Norbertia
- †Numidocapra
- †Olonbulukia
- †Pachygazella
- †Pachytragus
- †Palaeoreas
- †Palaeoryx
- †Paraprotoryx
- †Parapseudotragus
- †Parurmiatherium
- †Praeovibos
- †Procamptoceras
- †Prosinotragus
- †Protoryx
- †Pseudotragus
- †Samotragus
- †Sinocapra
- †Sinomegoceros
- †Sinopalaeoceros
- †Sinotragus
- †Sivacapra
- †Soergelia
- †Sporadotragus
- †SymbosSymbOSSymbOS is a free multitasking operating system for Z80-based 8-bit computer systems. At present it is available for the Amstrad CPC series of computers, as well as for all MSX models starting from the MSX2 standard and for most Amstrad PCW models...
- †Tethytragus
- †Tossunnoria
- †Tsaidamotherium
- †Turcocerus
- †Urmiatherium